


Tucked Safely Within My Heart

by pharmtechgirl71



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M, Murder Mystery, Non established Richonne, Non established Shane/Carol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-31
Updated: 2016-07-04
Packaged: 2018-07-11 11:38:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 29,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7048138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pharmtechgirl71/pseuds/pharmtechgirl71
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Abigail Ellis is found clinging to life in her house; her sister, Deborah is dead in the next room. Daryl Dixon is one of the EMT's called to the scene. A county wide search begins for the murderer, and Daryl becomes fascinated by Abigail and her story. He attempts to help her recover from her injuries and the loss of her sister. all while falling in love with her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Nine-One-One

**Author's Note:**

> I am nervous about this one. I've never written a mystery before, but I watch a lot of ID channel, hahaha! I know there will be discrepancies, so take it easy on me.

Chapter One

 

"Griffon nine-one-one; what’s your emergency?"

"Yeah, I heard some screams coming from the house next door, and saw a vehicle speed away from the house; two single women live there. You have to send someone check on them." The caller gave his name and the address to the woman on the phone.

"Of course sir. I recommend you stay where you are and do not leave your residence until authorities arrive and ask to speak to you. I have alerted the Sheriff's department, fire, and ambulance. They should be there shortly." Gareth thanked her, hung up the phone, and waited.

 

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Rick and Shane were the first to arrive on the scene. The house was in complete darkness, so the two deputies readied their weapons and held their flashlights up. They approached the front of the house cautiously; the door was unlocked and slightly ajar, and the two men entered the residence. The front room was a mess; the television was on the floor and furniture was overturned. Shane went to the left, down a hallway, and Rick to the right, into the kitchen. It didn't take long for them to find two bodies, one deceased and one barely clinging to life.

The EMT and fire department were waiting outside when the deputies came out. Shane walked over to the two gentlemen standing outside the ambulance and related what they had found. "We got a mess in there. One female, deceased in the back bedroom and one in the kitchen, both stabbed. I'm going to call the coroner, you two get that lady in the kitchen to Grady stat; she's our only witness. You guys do your best to keep her alive."

Aaron and Daryl had been ready to move the minute they got there and wasted no time in getting into the house and stabilizing the victim the best they could. She lay on her stomach on the tile floor, in a pool of her own blood. Daryl immediately checked her vitals and determined that her heartbeat was faint and her blood pressure was dropping. Aaron scanned the body and found several stab wounds on her arms. The EMTs turned her body over and saw even more stab wounds on her upper and mid torso; the amount of blood made it impossible to count how many there were. Daryl wasted no time in getting her on the gurney; they had her on oxygen and hooked up to a monitor in record time, and without any hesitation, with lights flashing and sirens blaring, sped off to Grady Memorial Hospital.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

While the crime scene investigators were dusting for prints and looking for clues, and the coroner was conducting an initial probe, Rick and Shane went next door to speak with the neighbor who had made the emergency call. They usually took turns asking the questions and taking the notes, and this time it was Shane walking up to the door and Rick taking the small notebook from his pocket. The larger man barely got one knock in before the door swung open.

"Are you here to talk to me about the girls next door?" he asked anxiously as he walked onto the front porch.

"Yes we are Mr. . . .?"

"West, Gareth West." He extended his hand toward the deputies. "I'm the one who made the phone call."

"I'm Deputy Shane Walsh, this is my partner, Deputy Rick Grimes. May we come in? This shouldn’t take long."

"Of course," Gareth said and held the door for them as they walked inside. "Can I get you a bottle of water or something?"

"No thank you Mr. Eubanks. We just need to get your story and ask a few questions. First of all, tell us exactly what you said to the 911 operator."

"I said that I had heard screams next door and saw a car speed away. " 

"About how long was it between the screams and when you saw the vehicle?"

"Ten or fifteen minutes, I guess. I was cooking dinner and had a timer set, so I wasn't watching the clock."

"Alright sir, did you see anyone arrive or leave the residence, or see anything suspicious before you heard the screams?"

"No," Gareth said, as his hand started to twitch slightly. "Both Deborah and Abigail were home when I got here; they usually are, that's normal. I saw their cars under the carport in the back. I took a shower first thing then started making dinner. I didn't even look out the windows after I got here. Those girls are pretty quiet; I never hear anything from them. That's why I panicked when I heard the screams. I knew something was wrong."

"We're thankful that you were at home and paying attention, you may have saved a girl's life." Shane told him.

"A girl?" Gareth asked. "Does that mean one of them is dead?"

"We can't give you any details regarding the crime scene, but I can tell you one girl has been taken to Grady in grave condition. Now, we only have a couple more questions and we'll get out of your hair. Were you able to see the vehicle that left the scene; make, model, color?"

"No sir, it looked like a small car though, a compact or something."

"Was either woman seeing anyone; boyfriend or estranged husband maybe?"

"There was some guy that would come around about three or four nights a week. I don't know which one he was seeing, I didn't know them very well, but rumor has it that Deborah was a little loose, I guess you could say. I don't really know anything about that though."

"Thank you for talking to us Mr. West," Shane said as the men stood up and shook hands again. "If we need to talk to you again, we know where to find you, and if you remember anything else, let us know." Gareth saw them to the door and locked it tight after the deputies left. He walked back into the kitchen and grabbed a beer from the fridge.


	2. Taking a Ghost Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick and Shane start the investigation, and Daryl checks up on Abigail,

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since chapter one was so short, I decided to give you another one.

Chapter Two

 

Rick's eyes were crossed; he couldn't focus on the words anymore. They all blurred into one long shit word as far as he was concerned. He and Shane had been up all night typing up Gareth's statement and their own firsthand accounts of the crime scene. He was ready for coffee and food, so the two deputies decided to leave the station and grab some breakfast. Ten minutes later, they pulled into the parking lot of Dale's Diner, found a booth in the back and settled in for a while.

"Okay, let's go over what we've got so far," Rick said, bringing out his overused notebook. "We're waiting on the coroner's report and anything from CSI, so in the meantime, all we have to go on is Gareth's statement. We should go back to the scene and interview the other neighbors. Also, we need to check out her place of employment, and track down any additional family members. I called the hospital earlier and our witness hasn't woken up yet. She was in surgery all night; we need to go check on her condition, see if we can talk to the doctor."

Shane sipped his coffee and nodded his head. "It's gonna take those lab rats at least a week to give us anything; we're gonna have a goose chase with all the information we get from the neighbors and co-workers until we can talk to the witness or get back any kind of DNA or fingerprint information."

Rick released a heavy sigh. "Yeah, we better get on it. Don't want to waste any time, the press is gonna run with this, scare the whole town into thinking we've got a killer on the loose."

"We do, Rick." Shane replied and went to the counter to pay the bill.

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************

Daryl didn't sleep well that night. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw that beautiful woman covered in blood. He had successfully stabilized her and cleaned her arms and chest the best he could. He had become very good at looking at the injured and sick as ghosts; people who didn't exist on his plane of reality. He started out working in Atlanta, and the tragedy he saw on a daily basis was too much for his soul to hold; he brought everyone home with him at the end of his shift. It had taken years to learn how to detach himself from those emotions and here he was, losing sleep over one of them again. It had been a long time since he had witnessed a scene as horrific as the one last night. It had been a long time since he had let one of his rides get into his head, but here she was, nestled in the cobwebs. He didn't know who she was or anything about her except she had endured a nightmare.

He looked at the clock on his nightstand; it was eight thirty. He had drifted off to sleep around three this morning, after getting home at twelve. He and Aaron were on the night shift this week and his mind and body hadn't had time to adjust to the new schedule, so he decided to get up and make coffee and toast. He sat in his old, ratty recliner and watched the local news while he ate his breakfast. The breaking news was the murder scene from last night. The media didn't have a lot of information that could be confirmed, except that two sisters had lived in the house; one had been declared dead at the scene, and the other had been rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital in grave condition and was currently in surgery. He knew it would be a mistake to get personally involved in this situation, but he decided that he would at least stop by the hospital today to check on her condition.

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************

Rick and Shane arrived at the hospital around one o'clock to check on their witness. Spending the morning interviewing the other neighbors had been a pain in the ass; no one had seen or heard anything of significance, except to tell them about the vehicle that was parked at the house almost every night. Everyone the deputies spoke to said how nice and polite the sisters were and that they had never had any trouble out of them. One elderly women, Mrs. Odom, said that she suspected that one or both of the sisters was promiscuous, because of the strange vehicle everyone had remarked about. She was sure one of them was having an illicit affair with a married man. "She watches too much Investigation Discovery," Shane had remarked once they were in the squad car and on their way to Grady.

Once at the hospital, the deputies met with Dr. Herschel Greene, the on-duty ER surgeon from the night before, and a man they had gotten to know well during their time in the Sheriff's Department. One of the ER nurses had recognized the victim as Abigail Ellis, an employee at the bookstore in town, Dr. Greene told them and proceeded to report her injuries stating that her stab wounds had been in non-fatal areas and were easily taken care of in surgery once the bleeding had been staunched. Her gravest injury had been head trauma; she had suffered a cracked skull and was going into surgery later in the afternoon to relieve the pressure in her brain. Currently she was unconscious, but stable. 

When Daryl got off the elevator on the fifth floor, he immediately saw Rick, Shane, and Dr. Greene talking in front of the nurses’ station. He joined the conversation by inquiring about the victim. Dr. Greene repeated his report to Daryl, adding that the moment she awoke and was able to communicate, he would notify the deputies. After Rick and Shane left, Daryl hung around for a bit to speak with the surgeon. "I know you're not a neurosurgeon, but do you have any idea how serious the brain injury is? I mean, could she be a vegetable, or lose her memory or anything like that?" He asked.

"Son, I don't want to speculate, but I believe she will recover with minimal complications. She survived an attack that took the life of her sister; I think she has the strength to live." Herschel clapped Daryl on the shoulder. "She got to you, didn't she?"

Daryl released an aggravated sigh. "Yes, and I thought about her all night. It's been a long time since I brought one home with me."

"Daryl, I've known you for a few years now, and I admire the work you do. Sometimes I think your heart is too big for this line of work."

"I could say the same about you," Daryl said looking at the older man.

Herschel smiled, "I suppose you could. She's scheduled for surgery in an hour, and they'll start prepping her soon. Would you like to see her for a moment? I could give you ten minutes."

"That would be nice Dr. Greene. I appreciate it." Herschel led him down the hall to room 528 and let him walk inside. She had an IV in both arms, an oxygen tank, stitches and bruises down both arms, and a bandage wrapped around her head, but she looked pretty in spite of all of it. Daryl pulled up a chair next to the bed and looked at her.

"Hi Abigail, my name is Daryl. My partner Aaron and I brought you here last night. I know you probably can't hear me, but I wanted to check up on you; see you for a minute. You scared me last night; I didn't know if you were gonna make it or not, but I'm glad you're still here. I don't want you to be scared. Grady has the best staff outside of Atlanta, so you got nothing to worry about. I'm gonna come back and see you tomorrow, I promise. You gotta wake up soon; I want to know what color your eyes are."


	3. Land of the Living

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abigail wakes up and talks to the deputies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has read, left comments, kudos and bookmarked my little story. Here is another chapter, let me know what you think.

Chapter Three

 

Rick and Shane had been on and off the phone all morning with CSI in Atlanta; the crime lab in Griffon wasn’t adequate enough to evaluate and examine the evidence found at the scene, and everything had to be sent off. The one bloody footprint found in the bedroom was a Nike Air Jordan size ten and a half; a fairly common make and size. It would take a Cinderella size effort to track down the murderer from that bit of information. The blood samples run through CODUS were inconclusive; apparently the killer was not in the database, which meant they were probably dealing with a first time criminal. In addition to those disappointments, most of the fingerprints found at the scene were partials or too smudged for comparison. The deputies were at the end of their rope and ready to strangle themselves with it. The two men determined that the only way to move this investigation forward would be to speak with Abigail, who had yet to wake up. 

After hours of phone calls and two pots of coffee, the deputies needed some fresh air. They walked around the Sheriff's Department building for a good thirty minutes talking through all the evidence and knowledge they had for the hundredth time; they hoped that if they continued to vocalize what they knew, one of them would have an epiphany. As of now, their only hope was for Abigail to wake up and give them a statement. When the two men were heading back inside the front doors, the front desk receptionist came outside to tell them that Dr. Herschel Greene was on the phone for them. The deputies looked at each other with hope that this might be the break they needed. 

For privacy reasons, Rick and Shane took the phone call in the conference room, putting the doctor on speaker. "Well gentlemen, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that Abigail is awake and there seems to be no brain damage that we can see. We will be performing an MRI among other tests to determine if there is a need for any additional treatment."

"That's the best news we've had all day doc, but what's the bad news?" Shane asked with a defeated look on his face.

"She awoke suddenly, and in hysterics. She didn't know where she was and was screaming for her sister; we had to sedate her, but she should be awake soon. I'm concerned for her mental and emotional state. If you want to speak to her, I would feel more comfortable getting her approval for that; if she consents to speak with you, I'm going to insist that I be present for the questioning and that one of our staff psychologists be a witness also. I know you two and trust that you won't do or say anything to purposely upset her, but considering what the poor girl has been through and woken up to, I would feel better if she were protected from her own reactions."

"That's understandable Dr. Greene," Rick said in agreement. "We don't have a problem with that at all; we want to make sure she feels safe and protected; we need her to trust us. Thank you for your help; we'll be at the hospital within the hour."

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************

The deputies met Dr. Greene and psychologist Carol Peletier at the fifth floor nurse's station. They shook hands in greeting, with Shane offering a shy smile to Carol. Hershel escorted the group to Abigail's room where she was awake and somewhat calm; the television giving the room it's only source of light. "Good afternoon Abigail. How are you feeling?" Hershel asked as he stood at her bedside. 

She looked at the older man blankly and without emotion. "I don't know," she said softly. Shane, Rick, and Carol filed into the room slowly and quietly, as not to frighten the patient. 

"Abigail, these two deputies would like to speak with you about what happened. Is that okay with you?" Dr. Greene asked her.

"Yes, but I don't really know what happened. I don't remember much at all."

"That's alright," Shane offered. "We have absolutely nothing right now, so any little piece of information you can remember will be helpful."

Herschel took her hand in his and motioned to Carol who was sitting a bit further away. "This is Carol; she's here for you. She is here to make sure you understand what is going on and to help you if you become flustered or confused." Abigail shook her head in understanding and smiled tentatively. "Alright then Abigail, if you're still comfortable with doing this, I say ask your questions deputies."

Rick leaned forward in his chair and cleared his throat. "First of all, I'd like to say how grateful we are that you survived. Its seems that you are the only hope of catching your sister's killer and we appreciate your willingness to speak with us."

"Like I said before, I don't remember much. My sister and I may have lived together, but we were not close, but I will try to help as much as I can."

"That's all we ask Ms. Ellis," Rick said and cleared his throat as Shane took out his notebook. "First of all, tell us what you do remember and we can go from there."

"I remember being in the kitchen, I had just got home from work and was fixing a sandwich. Deborah was in the shower; I think she was meeting someone. She did that sometimes. The lights went out, I figured a breaker got tripped or someone hit a transformer. Then something hit me in the back of the head; that's it. I don't remember anything after that." Silent tears fell down her face when it hit her that her sister had been attacked and killed, and she had been unconscious and unable to call for help. 

"Okay, do you know who she was meeting?" Rick asked as Shane was hurriedly writing down everything she said.

"No, but she had been seeing someone I think. She and I didn't get on that well; she resented the fact that she had to move in with me. Deborah had made a mess of her life and didn't have anywhere else to go but to me, and she hated that. She didn't tell me anything, we barely spoke to each other."

"Do you have any idea who it is she could have been seeing? Did you ever hear her on the phone with anyone?" Rick asked.

"She had a problem with men; she didn't like being with the same one for very long. That was one reason she was in the position she was in. She had some emotional issues; always going from man to man until she was tired or bored with them. I never knew who she was with, or for how long. Like I said, she didn't share that kind of information with me." She fell quiet for a moment, thinking. "She did have a date book though, I saw her writing in it all the time. Maybe there's some information in there."

Rick then turned his attention to his partner. "When we get back to the station, we need to check with CSI, see if they found that datebook." Shane dutifully wrote down a reminder in his notes. "Alright, just a couple more questions and then we'll let you rest. Your neighbors reported seeing a vehicle they didn't recognize parked at your house a few nights a week. Who does the vehicle belong to?"

"I don't know. I've been going out after work a few nights a week with a friend of mine. We have dinner and a few drinks, by the time I get home she's either not there or asleep. I tried not to pry into her business; she drank sometimes and could get mean. I didn't think it was worth the risk asking her about it."

"Okay, did Deborah have a job? Where did she work?" 

"She was a waitress at the Terminus Tavern. She worked days, nights, and weekends; wherever they could fit her in."

"Alright, that will be all for now. Thank you so much for talking to us Abagail; I know this is hard for you. If you remember anything, or need anything from us, please call." Rick and Shane both handed her their cards with the station number and their cell phones listed. "It doesn't matter what it is or what time of the day or night. This is our only case and were putting one hundred percent of our time into it. We're gonna find the person who hurt you and killed your sister."

"Thank you Deputy Grimes, Deputy Walsh. I need to know who did this." Her tears came faster and harder now, and Rick and Shane left the room quietly with Dr. Greene and Carol.


	4. Brown Eyed Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl gets to see Abigail and the deputies meet with the DA.

Chapter Four

 

Aaron and Daryl sat in the rig waiting for a call to come in. It had been a quiet night, thank God. Neither man thought they could have taken another one like the one they had two nights ago. Nights like that were rare in such a small town, but Daryl had his fill of them when he worked in Atlanta. Aaron had only been on one of those type calls before, and wasn't accustomed to the sight as Daryl was, but he could tell this one had struck the other man hard. "Wonder how she's doing?" Aaron said out loud in an attempt to fill the silent void that occupied their space.

"I went to see her yesterday. She was still unconscious, but Dr. Greene said he thought she'd be okay, eventually. None of the stab wounds were deep enough to cause damage, but he was concerned about the head injury. She had some swelling and was going into surgery. I called over there this morning and Maggie was on duty. She told me she had woken up, but was not doing well mentally or emotionally. She was hysterical when she woke up; didn't know where she was or what had happened; they had to sedate her."

"Shit," Aaron responded. "They would have had to sedate me too. I've never been at a scene that bad before. The one I was on wasn't nearly as bloody or messy. That was hard to see; hard to get out of my head."

"Me too," Daryl said sighing loudly. "I've seen worse, but there's something about this one; I can't get her out of my head."

Aaron checked his watch. "It's almost dinner time. Why don’t we stop by the hospital after we eat, check up on her?"

"Yeah, sounds good." Daryl agreed and pulled out into traffic to find a place to eat. 

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************

Rick and Shane hadn't had a chance to check in with CSI when they returned to the station; Sheriff Horvath had been waiting at their desks for them to return from interviewing the witness. "How ya doing boys? Any luck with the girl?"

"She don't remember much, but apparently the sister has been around the block a few times. She had a date book and we need to check with CSI to see if they found it. Also, the girl worked at Terminus, thought we'd go by and talk to her co-workers and boss; see if they can tell us anything."

"Well you won't be doing any of that right now. We gotta go into town for a meeting with the DA. He wants to know everything we know; seemed pretty agitated about the whole situation too. Kept stressing how important it is that we find whoever did it as quickly as possible."

"I think we can all agree on that," Shane said. The three men walked out together and jumping in the Sheriff's SUV, headed downtown.

Thirty minutes later, they were sitting in a conference room; District Attorney Phillip Blake and his Assistant DA Andrea Harrison, sitting across from the Sheriff and his deputies. "Okay Dale," Phillip began, "tell me what you got."

"I think Rick and Shane can tell you better than I can. They were the responding officers and they've been on the case ever since."

"Alright, Deputy Grimes, Deputy Walsh," the intimidating man said, turning his attention to the other men, “what do you know so far. I need to know every last bit of information you have."

Shane spoke up first. "We talked to the neighbors and learned that there has been an unknown vehicle at the residence three to four nights a week for the past couple of weeks. Also, they stated that the sisters kept to themselves for the most part and no one has had any problems with either of the women. There seems to be a rumor in the neighborhood that one or both of the sisters was a bit loose if you'll forgive the term. No one heard or saw anything of significance that night except for the gentleman who made the nine-one-one call. He claims to have seen a vehicle in the drive way, but it was not the vehicle that had been there previously. He couldn't tell make or model because it was too dark, but he said the vehicle he saw that night was smaller than the one he had seen there on previous nights."

Rick took over from there. "CSI hasn't been able to find anything yet, they're still doing lab tests on clothing and items taken from the scene. We were able to speak to the victim, Abigail, and she doesn't remember much. She stated that she remembers being hit on the head and nothing after that. She believes that her sister was going to meet someone that night, but according to her, the relationship between the sisters was strained. They didn't speak to each other and Abigail claims to not know anything about her sister's private life. Deborah supposedly had a datebook that may contain helpful information, but we don't know if CSI were able to find it. Also, Deborah worked at the Terminus Tavern; Shane and I are going to go speak with her co-workers and her boss. Hopefully, they can give us some information."

Phillip looked pleased with what information had been gathered so far, and leaned over to Andrea, whispering something in her ear. Soon after, she gathered the notes she had taken and left the room. "I'm putting Andrea in charge of this case. When the assailant is apprehended, she will prosecute; any communication regarding this investigation will go through her to me." He stood as in indicator that the meeting was over, and extended his hand to the other men. "Thank you very much gentlemen. This is a very serious matter and I trust that your department will make it the top priority. We cannot have a murderer running the streets. This young woman deserves justice, and her sister deserves closure."

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************

After leaving La Terraza with their bellies full, Daryl and Aaron drove to the hospital to check up on Abigail. As they reached the fifth floor, Maggie arrived at the nurses’ station. "Hey guys, how's your night so far? I haven't heard of any commotion from downstairs."

"It's been pretty quiet tonight, but I don't want to say that too loud," Aaron said laughing. "The gods will hear me."

Maggie and Daryl laughed with him. "I assume you two are here to see Ms. Ellis?" Maggie asked with sureness. "Rick and Shane were here today talking to her. She don't remember anything that happened; poor girl is a mess. Can you imagine waking up in a hospital, not knowing where you are or why your there, and finding out that your sister is dead on top of all that? She's strong though, I can see it in her. She's just gonna need a lot of time and support. Come on; I'll walk you guys down the hall; it's time to check her vitals anyway.

Aaron and Daryl quietly entered the hospital room behind Maggie. "Hello sweetheart. How are you feeling?"

Abigail looked up at the nurse through her long, auburn hair. Maggie could tell she had been crying again. "I don't know. The doctor said I'll be here for the rest of the week. My head hurts and I'm cold."

"I can turn the heat up for you or get you another blanket if you want?" Maggie replied.

"A blanket would be nice."

"Alright, let me get your vitals first, and I got a couple people here I'd like to introduce you to; this is Aaron and Daryl. They're the EMTs that brought you in the other night. They've been worried about you and wanted to see how you were doing."

The two men stepped forward, Daryl taking the spot at the foot of the bed. "It's good to see you awake," he said looking into her big, brown eyes. "Doctor Greene says you're gonna be just fine."

"Physically maybe," she said. Maggie left the room and soon returned with two blankets and a pillow. "We won't take up any more of your time," Daryl told her. He wanted to stay; he wanted to sit next to her on the bed and comfort her somehow. "We just wanted to make sure you were doing okay." He moved to the side of the bed. "Would it be okay if I came back tomorrow to see ya?"

Abigail was surprised to hear him say that. "Yeah, sure, if you want to. It would be nice to have someone here."

"Alright then; I'll see you tomorrow. Sleep good." As he and Aaron rode the elevator downstairs, Daryl had a smile on his face.

"What's made you so happy?" Aaron asked.

"They're brown. Her eyes, they're brown."


	5. Home Sweet, Not Quite Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abigail leaves the hospital.

Chapter Five

One week after the brutal murder of her sister, Abigail was being released from the hospital. She was packing her bag, which was mostly filled with stuffed animals, cards, and empty vases that had held flowers that were already dead. Most of the gifts she had received had been from Daryl, who had come to see her every day. The others had been from neighbors, co-workers, and the two deputies she had been talking to. When everything was in her bag, she sat on the bed and looked around. She wouldn't be going back to her house today; she may never set foot in there again. She was going to be staying with her friend Michonne for a while and was grateful for a place to go.

There was a knock on her door and a small female voice that asked if she could come in. Carol, the staff psychologist she had spoken to last week, entered the room. "I hear you're saying goodbye to us today."

"Yes, I am," Abigail replied. "I won't miss this place, so don't ask me to come back to say hi."

Carol smiled. "Don't worry; I don't want you to come back, but I would like to see you again." She sat down in the chair opposite the bed. "I was hoping we could talk for a minute before you leave. I want to help you deal with what happened; I want to help you get through this and maybe help you remember something about that night."

Abigail sighed. "I would like that very much; thank you. I don't know if there is anything to remember, but I am having a hard time dealing with this. I appreciate it."

"Good, I'm glad you're willing to talk about it. Many people want to internalize and ignore their grief. You can't move on with your life if this is still in your heart and mind." Carol reached into her pocket and pulled out one of her business cards. "I have a private office not far from here; call and set up an appointment for next week." Just then, Rick and Shane walked into the room.

"Ms. Abigail, Ms. Carol; how are you beautiful ladies doing today?" Shane asked as he smiled and tipped his imaginary hat at Carol.

"We're doing just fine Deputy Walsh," Carol answered and smiled back at Shane. "Are you two here to escort our patient home?"

"We most certainly are and am happy to do it," Shane replied, blushing at the sweet sound of Carol's voice.

"Well then, I'll leave you to it." She said and stood to leave. "I'll see you next week Abigail; please don't forget to call. My cell number is on the card too, if you need to talk before our appointment."

"Thank you Carol, I won't forget." After Carol closed the door behind her, Abigail stood and grabbed her bag. "Can we get the hell out of here? I'm going to get ill if I don't get out of here soon."

"Of course," Rick said. "Let me find a wheelchair and Shane can bring the squad car around." Ten minutes later, Rick rolled Abigail out the patient pick-up doors and up to the squad car. They heard a voice calling her name as Daryl ran up to them.

"Hey Abigail, you going home?" He asked.

"Not my home, but I am leaving the hospital. I'll be staying with my friend Michonne for a while, until everything straightens out."

"I was coming by to see if you needed a ride home. Aaron and I are about to start our shift, but we came by here first to so we could take you home, but it looks as though the deputies got it taken care of."

"Thank you Daryl, and thank Aaron too. That's very sweet of you both, but the deputies say they have to protect their witness. They don't want me to be alone in case the killer comes back for me."

"That's a good idea," Daryl said, disappointed. "Can I call you tonight, see how you're doing?"

"Of course, I've gotten used to your calls. I can't quit cold turkey," Abigail said, smiling at him.

"Alright then, I'll give you a call when I get home tonight. Be safe. Rick, Shane, y'all take care of her."

"We will buddy," Rick said and opened the back door for Abigail to get in. Daryl stood there waving at her until the car was out of sight.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

When they pulled into Michonne's drive-way, Shane took a few bags out of the trunk; Abigail had requested clothes and personal items to have while living with her friend, and the deputies had picked up her things while conducting their investigation. Michonne was still at work and had left a spare key for to let herself in with. Shane followed her and Rick into the house. Abigail showed him the room she would be staying in and told him to leave her bags on the bed; she would get to them later. Rick and Shane weren't about to leave her alone, and the three of them watched a movie and ordered lunch from the Chinese place in town.

They talked about everything except the investigation; the weather, the bookstore she worked at, and even what made Rick and Shane want to go into law enforcement. When Michonne arrived home, she had dinner in her arms. The two men helped her with the bags, and she asked them to stay and share the meal with them. It was evening by this time, and neither deputy had plans or anywhere they needed to be, so they accepted the offer. For some reason, Rick couldn’t keep his eyes off Michonne, and was caught staring more than a few times, and when dinner was over, he offered to help her clean up, and was humming to himself as he drove back to the Sheriff’s Department. 

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Abigail's cell phone rang at nine thirty that night. She had just gotten out of the shower and was getting ready for bed. She didn't recognize the number but assumed it was Daryl and answered. "Hello?"

"Hey Abigail, it's Daryl. Did I call at a bad time?"

"No Daryl. I was expecting you to call."

"How ya feeling? You doing okay; having any pain?" he asked.

She smiled at his genuine concern. "My head hurts, but that's to be expected. The doctor said I would probably have headaches for the rest of my life. How are you Daryl? Did you just get off your shift?"

"Yeah, got home about ten minutes ago. I'm fixing something to eat and wanted to talk to ya before I took a shower. I bet it feels good to be out of that hospital bed."

"Oh God, you just wouldn't believe. It doesn't make everything normal again, but it' a start. I’m appreciative that Michonne offered to let me stay, I don't know where I would have gone if she hadn't."

"I'm sure Rick or Shane could have found a place, or me. I could have found something for ya. I wouldn't let ya leave the hospital without a place to stay."

"Thank you Daryl, that means a lot, but I wouldn't ask you to do that. I don't know you that well."

"We could change that. I don't know much about you either, and I'd like to. I feel bad about you losing your sister, I know what that's like. I lost my brother a few years ago; he and I weren't real close when we were little, but after our dad died he and I spent a lot more time together. It's a hard thing to deal with and if you need to talk to someone who knows what you're going through, I'd like to listen."

"That's a very kind offer Daryl; I appreciate that."

"Can I take you to lunch tomorrow? I mean, if you don't have any plans." Daryl asked timidly.

"Yeah, that would be nice. Thank you Daryl; you've been very kind to me and I don't really know why."

"I hate to see anybody go through something like this and especially the way it happened; not knowing whose responsible must be agonizing. Helping you through this is something I can do, and if I can do it, I might as well, right?" 

"You know you don't have to do any of this Daryl, but I appreciate everything you've done. Coming to see me, all the flowers and stuffed animals, and not in the least saving my life. I don't know how to thank you."

"You don't have to thank me for any of it, but having lunch with me every now and then, letting me call ya or come by to see ya would be real nice."

"I think that would be great Daryl. I'm gonna let you go so you can shower and go to sleep. I'll see you tomorrow; just give me a call and let me know when, okay?"

"Yeah, I'll do that. You have a good night Abigail. Sleep well and have sweet dreams."

"You too Daryl. Goodnight."


	6. Suspicions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abigail gets a surprise phone call, Shane and Rick check out the Terminus Tavern, and Daryl takes Abigail to lunch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is for my dear friends Bella_Monoxide, KrissyG927, and MagentasNightmare. You ladies are the best and I love you,

Chapter Six

 

Andrea woke up with a pair of strong arms around her, much like she did most mornings for the past two months. She savored the warmth and security Phillip gave her and that had been the main reason she had fallen into his bed all those weeks ago. He was very charming and kind to her. When she first moved here from Florida, she only had her law degree and ambition. The District Attorney had found her floundering at a small firm in Atlanta and offered her a position at his office. She had been very eager and grateful for the opportunity, and had worked unpaid overtime to get the job done, and impress her boss. She believed that Phillip did good work; that his morals and ethics were beyond reproach, and so far she had not been proven wrong.

"Good morning my love," Phillip crooned in her ear and sweetly kissed her bare shoulders. "What time is it?"

Andrea looked at the clock on the bedside table. "It's six fifteen. We should get ready for work," she answered and leaned back into Phillip's body.

"Are we having breakfast here or stopping somewhere?"

"I have time to fix something here. You go get in the shower and I'll get started on the food." He kissed her cheek and got out of bed, blowing her one last kiss before disappearing into the bathroom. Andrea waited a few moments before crawling out of bed herself and went to Phillip's dresser to find a shirt to wear. As she pilfered through the drawer, her fingers found something that felt like a necklace. She pulled it out to look at it; it was a long gold chain with a locket at the end. She opened it and saw a picture of a much younger Phillip with his arms around a woman she didn't recognize. As she closed it and set it back in the drawer, she noticed initials engraved on the front; the initials DE.

*************************************************************************************************************************************When Abigail woke the next morning, she smelled coffee and bacon; the two most wonderful smells in the world, in her humble opinion anyway. She rushed into the kitchen to find Michonne sitting at the table with a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast, as well as a cup of steaming coffee. "Morning Abby. How did you sleep last night?"

Abigail went to the cabinet and got a plate, filling it with the remainder of food and grabbing a cup for coffee. "Better than I have in a week. It's nice to not be woken up continuously for vital checks."

"I bet it is. Do you have any plans for today?"

"I'm having lunch with Daryl. He's supposed to call me and let me know what time to be ready."

Michonne put her plate in the dishwasher and poured another cup of coffee. "He's one of the EMT's, isn't he?"

"Yeah, the one who came to see me and bought all those flowers. He's been so nice, offering to help me with everything and checking in on me. I want to thank him and Aaron for everything they've done."

"Why don't you invite them over for dinner? Maybe order out from that restaurant in town; you shouldn't be doing too much."

"That's a good idea. I'll ask Daryl when we have lunch." Michonne grabbed her bag and headed out to work, blowing her friend a kiss as she walked out the door. As Abigail put her dishes in the washer, her cell phone rang. She picked it up from the table and went into the living room.

"Hello?" She said.

"Abigail? This is Caesar. I just heard about Deborah. How are you doing sweetheart?" Caesar Martinez was an old friend of the sisters; he was Deborah's age, but was close to Abigail as well. When he and Deborah were young they had tried dating, and that had resulted in their first child, Amanda now twelve, of whom Caesar had custody since Deborah began her descent into drugs. At the age of three, the young girl had gained a brother, Seth. Caesar had loved Deborah as much as he could considering that he was coming to terms with the fact that he was gay. He had left town seven years ago with both children in his custody, and was now married to a wonderful man named Glenn.

"Caesar, I'm so glad you called. I didn't know how to get in touch with you. How are you doing? Do the kids know?"

"Yeah, I found out yesterday and told them last night. We want to come to the funeral; have you made arrangements yet?" Caesar asked.

"No, my friend Michonne is taking me to the funeral home tomorrow. I'm staying with her until things get settled and I can find a place to live; she has the day off, so she said she would help me make the arrangements."

"I'm glad you have someone to help you Abigail. I don't know if Deb had any life insurance, but if you need any help paying for her funeral, you tell me. I'd do anything for her or you."

"Thank you. She had a small policy, but I haven't had the time to look into it. I haven't had time to do anything really," Abigail said solemnly.

"Well, I'll help you with whatever you need. We're going to leave today when the kids get home from school. I'll call you when we get into town. See you soon Abby." Caesar said.

"See you soon Caesar. Have a safe trip."

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Rick and Shane pulled into the gravel parking lot of the Terminus Tavern. It was still early in the afternoon and there weren't many patrons hanging out, which relieved the deputies. Both men had been here plenty of times, having been called out for bar fights more times than they could count. The wooden door slammed shut behind them as they entered the bar and promptly got the attention of everyone inside. "Hello deputies," Kyra, one of the waitresses yelled from the bar.

"Good afternoon Kyra," Rick replied. "How's everything going today?"

"Same ol' same ol'. Can I get you gentlemen something to drink?"

The men took a seat at the bar. "No thanks sweetheart," Shane said. "We're here on business. We understand that Deborah Ellis worked here."

Kyra's countenance became mournful. "I heard about what happened. She had a lot of demons, but was an excellent waitress and friend. I assume you want to talk to everybody on staff. We're only a skeleton crew until five o'clock, but I can get everybody out here." Krissy, another waitress, came out from the kitchen. 

"Hey guys, how are you?" she asked the deputies.

"They're here to talk about Deb. Could you round everybody up and bring them out. We don’t want to keep these fine officers waiting long." Minutes later Krissy led three other employees into the bar area; Teagan, the other waitress, Noah, and Theodore, who worked in the kitchen. 

"I assume you've all heard about what happened to Deborah and we’re here to see if any of you have any information that might help us find her killer," Rick said taking his notebook from his shirt pocket. "Has there been anything strange going on lately? Did any of you notice her acting different or doing anything out of character?"

"No," Teagan offered. "She was always nice to the customers; they all loved her. She would flirt with them all the time; made great tips."

"Any of these customers ever get handsy with her? Did she ever say anything about anybody getting out of line?" Shane asked.

"There were a couple times I remember she had to get one of the bartenders to escort a couple guys out," Noah said. "I think it was the same two guys each time. I haven't seen them in a few weeks though."

Rick and Shanes' hearts jumped in their chests with excitement; they finally had suspects. "Did you get a look at these guys? Could you describe them?" Shane asked.

"I saw them once. I could probably give you a general description," he replied.

"Would you be willing to come down to the station today or tomorrow and give that description to a sketch artist?" Rick asked.

"Yeah, of course. Like I said, it would just be a general description, but I'd do anything to help." The deputies stood and Rick put his notebook back in his pocket.

"Thank you all for your help," Shane said as he rose. "This bartender, is he working tonight?"

"Yeah, he's scheduled to come in at five," Kyra told them.

"Good. One or both of us will be back to speak to him. What's his name?"

Krissy grabbed her own notepad from the table. "His name is Gareth."

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Daryl nervously exited his truck. It hadn't taken as long as he thought it would to get to Abigail's friend's house and he was afraid he was too early. He didn't have a good explanation for his anxiety; he had dated plenty of women and bought them meals before. This was ridiculous, he concluded, and confidently walked to the front door. He knocked a couple of times and waited patiently to be invited in. When she opened the door, Daryl was taken aback by what he saw. Her long, auburn hair was in big, wavy curls, and her brown eyes sparkled along with her brilliant smile. "Hi Daryl, come on in. I'm almost ready; just have a seat and I'll be back in a minute or two." He took a seat in the chair by the front window wishing he had brought her flowers or something.

"I know I'm a little early; I thought there would be more traffic coming this way." There was a painting above the sofa and the entertainment center was full of books and pictures. 

"That's fine Daryl; I just have to finish my make-up and then we can leave." She still had faint bruises on her face and wanted to cover them as best as she could. "How has your morning been?" she asked from her bedroom.

"Just fine. I've got the whole day off, so I slept late. Didn't get out of bed until nine o'clock. Felt great," he said as she returned to the living room. "You look really nice."

"Thank you. Where are we going? I still have a bit of a bald spot from the surgery, so I'm gonna wear a hat, but I only have a ball cap. Is that okay?" He smiled and took the hat from her.

"Are you really a Braves fan?" he asked, pointing to the decal on the front.

She laughed. "I dated a guy in college who was. He dragged me to every home game for three years. When we broke up, I kept the hat. I don't know if he ever realized that I still have it."

Daryl smirked at her. "Remind me to never leave anything at your house." He blushed slightly when he realized the connotation of what he said. He was not dating her, and more than likely never get that opportunity. Gratefully, she didn't react to what he said, only smiling back at him and leading him to the door. 

He drove them to ML Rose, a craft beer and burger place he frequented with Aaron when they worked the day shift. "Everything here is great." he said as they sat down by the window. "I've had about everything on the menu; I could recommend something if you want."

"Thank you Daryl; that would be great. I've never eaten here; my sister had, but she didn't tell me much about it."

"I'll tell you everything you need to know. Do you like beer?" he asked as he looked over the menu.

"Yeah, I do. I'll have whatever you're having, and a burger too, with lots of bacon." It had been a long time since she had drunk a nice, cold beer and chowed down on a bacon burger. "Oh, and onion rings please."

"Damn, that does sound good," Daryl replied licking his lips. He ordered their meal with an appetizer of cheese sticks; when the waiter left, they sat in silence. "They got any suspects yet?" he asked, hoping to start a conversation.

"No, I think they have a new lead though. They're going to check out the place Debbie worked; see if they can find out anything from her co-workers. I didn't know any of them, or any of her friends really. She resented the fact that she had to move in with me. She blamed me for all her problems." 

Daryl hummed in understanding. "Yeah, kinda had the same relationship with my brother. He was seven years older than me and practically raised me; in between time in juvie. He got into drugs and alcohol pretty bad and spent some time in jail too. Our daddy died when I was sixteen and he came home to take care of me; he didn't realize I could take care of myself by then, and he was high all the time, so I ended up taking care of him."

Abigail sighed. "That's the way it was with Debbie. She started rebelling after mom and dad died; she dated a lot, slept around. She got pregnant right out of high school and then again three years later; their father has custody of them. She got into drugs and alcohol pretty bad and spent time in jail. The last time she was released it was into my custody; I was responsible for her. She hated me for it." The conversation was put on hold when the waiter returned with their food and drinks. Abigail thoroughly enjoyed her beer and burger. The satisfied noises she made kinda turned Daryl on a little; he briefly wondered how similar they were to the noises she made in bed. He shook his head to release that thought, but it didn't work because his eyes had caught sight of her mouth as she chewed.

"So, I really want to do something for you; to thank you for saving my life." Abigail said as she took a sip of her beer.

Her voice disrupted Daryl's trance. "Aaron was there too, ya know. If you want to thank someone, thank him too."

"I will," she said. "Would you and Aaron like to come over for dinner in a couple of nights? I'm a pretty good cook, and would love to cook for the two of you."

"Thank you," he said. "I would love to come over for dinner." He looked at her softly and saw appreciation in her eyes. "I'll call Aaron and ask him."


	7. It's Real Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Funeral arrangements are made.

Chapter Seven

 

Shane let the heavy door slam behind him as he entered the Terminus Tavern, successfully gaining the attention of everyone in the room. He was off duty, and needed a drink; he also needed to get to the bottom of Gareth's deception. He saw the man behind the bar and sat on the stool furthest on the left, away from the other customers. "Hello deputy," the bartender said. "I heard you might be coming in to speak to me. You're not in your uniform; can I get you a drink?"

"Yeah, I'll take a jack and coke; thanks." Gareth wasted no time in mixing and returning with the drink. "You got a minute to spare? This shouldn't take long if you cooperate."

"Of course Deputy Walsh. Anything to help with the investigation. It's not the same without Debbie around," Gareth answered as he grabbed a basket of peanuts and set them in front of the man.

"How come you decided that you working here wasn't something we might need to know?"

"I don't know, man. One of my co-workers and my neighbor had just been brutally murdered; I was freaking out on the inside and not thinking straight. I'm sorry; I'll tell you anything."

Shane wasn't sure how entirely truthful that statement was, but continued on. "Okay, let's start with the two assholes that were harassing Deborah. Noah said you escorted them out. What can you tell me about them?"

"Not much; I had never seen either of them in here before. No one knew who they were. They were fine until they were drunk. Deborah, she was always real flirty with all the male customers, but most of them were regulars and knew they didn't stand a chance in hell of getting her in bed. These two, they didn't look rough when they first came in, but after a few drinks they got loud. They kept trying to touch her, squeeze her ass, stuff like that. She didn't seem scared of them, just annoyed as fuck."

"Okay, if you threw them out the first time, why were they allowed back?" Shane asked.

"I didn't see them come in. When we're slammed I don't have time to keep my eye on the door; I'm sure the wait staff doesn't either. They must have slipped in without anyone noticing."

"How did they react to getting thrown out on their asses?"

"Not well; I caught a couple of hits in the process. Theodore helped me, I think he got clipped too."

"And you haven't seen them since?" Shane gestured for a refill on his drink.

"I haven't. You can ask the other's if they've seen them, but I haven't. Sorry deputy."

Shane finished his drink, thanked Gareth for his assistance, and left to call Rick.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

The next morning, Michonne drove Abigail to the James Funeral Home where her sister's body was being transferred. The young woman had never done something like this before. When her parents died, her sister and aunt had made all the arrangements, and she felt wholly lost when she walked in the door. She was thankful for her friend; not only for her support, but also for her experience. Michonne had buried her boyfriend three years ago. Abigail was waiting for Deborah's life insurance policy to be processed, but would have enough for a decent funeral for her sister.

She chose a simple sky blue casket and a waterproof, steel vault. The funeral director helped her compose an obituary and choose a design for her headstone. The whole process was exhausting and Abigail broke down a couple of time while she was there. When everything was finalized, Abigail called Caesar to let him know the details. He and Glenn had just arrived in town and she could hear the children in the background. It was so good to hear their laughter, she missed her niece and nephew. Caesar offered to drive her to the graveside service. She thanked him but politely refused; Michonne had already told her that she would be escorting her wherever she needed to be. She then tried to reach Daryl, but got his voicemail; she left him the information and told him Aaron was welcome to accompany him if he so wished. After the phone calls were made, the two women headed to the grocery store to pick up the items she would need to make dinner for Daryl and Aaron the next night.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

"So how did your lunch date with Abigail go?" Aaron asked Daryl as they climbed into the medical van.

Daryl hummed happily to himself as he smiled. "Pretty damn good, I think. She looked absolutely beautiful. She's so funny; we were laughing the whole time. I took her to ML Rose; she really seemed to have a good time. She's a beer and burgers kinda girl."

"So she's just your type, huh? Did you get a peck on the cheek or a pat on the head?" Aaron laughed, trying to bust Daryl's chops.

"No actually, I didn’t, but I got us an invitation to dinner tomorrow night at her friend's house. She wants us both there to thank us for saving her life."

Aaron wiggled his eyebrows. "Are you sure she wants me there? I might get in the way."

"Shut the fuck up. There's nothing going on. She almost died and thinks she's still alive because of what we did. She's grateful and wants to do something nice for us," Daryl replied, blushing slightly.

"Alright, I would be happy to go. Would it be okay if I brought Eric with me? We haven't been able to see each other too much because of our schedule."

Daryl pulled his phone from his pocket to call Abigail and ask when he noticed he had a voicemail from Abigail telling him Deborah's arrangements had been made and what they were. He and Eric had already decided that they were going to attend and Daryl relayed the information to the other man. Abigail picked up after the first ring. "Hello?"

"Hi, Abigail? It's Daryl; I just got your message. Aaron and I are gonna be at the funeral tomorrow."

"Thank you so much Daryl. That means a lot. I'll be so happy to see you both. I think I'll feel better knowing you're there."

"Like I said, I just want to help you get through this. Listen, about dinner tomorrow night. Is it okay if Aaron brings his boyfriend Eric?"

"Of course, that would be wonderful! You can bring someone too if you want. You know, if you have a girlfriend or boyfriend," she told him, hoping he didn't have either.

"Thanks, but it'll just be me; if that's okay." Daryl said shyly.

"That's more than okay. I'm really looking forward to it. I'm not sure if I'll be able to be by myself so it will be nice to have some company while Michonne's at work."

"It'll be nice spending the evening with you. I'm looking forward to it too." Daryl put his phone back in his pocket and looked over at Aaron who had a shit eating grin on his face.


	8. Crushes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abigail and Michonne go grocery shopping and see a familiar face. Noah talks to a sketch artist.

Chapter Eight- Crushes

 

After Abigail got off the phone with Daryl, Michonne came creeping into the room. "You like him, don't you?" She said, wiggling her eyebrows.

"He's very nice Michonne. He saved my fucking life. The fact that he is funny and sexy doesn't have anything to do with it." Michonne laughed.

"But it's very convenient, isn't it? If he likes you, go for it. I know how hard things are for you now and if you can get some comfort and understanding, take it." She took her purse from the coffee table. "Let's go. Do you have your list?"

"Yep; everything I need for Chicken Parmesan." Abigail replied.

"Please tell me that's your mom's recipe. I could eat that shit every day," Michonne said licking her lips and making obnoxious slurping sounds.

Abigail laughed. "It is mom's recipe, and I'll make enough that you can have some when you get home; I promise. I'm grateful to you for a place to stay; a bed to sleep in. Your one of my oldest friends and I haven't even thanked you yet."

"Just make sure there's enough chicken parm left. And I'll keep all the ingredients in the house at all times; in case you feel like making it again next week."

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Michonne pushed the shopping cart up and down the aisles as Abigail threw the items in. Every now and then, Michonne would throw her own items in; mostly protein bars and chocolate candy. She wasn't paying attention to where she was going and ran right into another person. "Oh, I am so sorry. I wasn't watching what I was doing. Are you okay?" she said before she looked up and saw the soft blue eyes of Deputy Rick Grimes. 

Rick looked back at her and smiled sweetly. "Yes ma'am; I'm just fine. I wasn't watching either, so I suppose it's both our faults. Are you alright?"

"Yes deputy, I'm good." Michonne replied, smiling back. 

"How is Abigail doing? Is she feeling any better?" He asked her, never taking his eyes away from her. 

"She's okay. We made the arrangements for her sister this morning. There's going to be a graveside service tomorrow at eleven at Woodlawn Funeral Home. She'd love it if you and Deputy Walsh could be there."

"Of course we will. This has been devastating for her and the community too. We've never had to deal with something like this before. We can help each other, I think." 

"Have you found anything new about the case; any closer to finding the bastard that did this?"

"As a matter of fact, we do have a couple of leads we're checking out. Hopefully they'll come through for us soon."

"We all do Deputy Grimes." she said with sadness.

"Uh, you can call me Rick." he said and tipped his giant hat to her. 

"Okay, Rick. You will let her know if you find something, won't you?"

"Of course. As a matter of fact, I need her to come by the station whenever she can. I have a few more questions for her."

"She's around here somewhere. You can tell her yourself." He followed her three aisles over and found Abigail checking out the canned tomato sauce. 

"Hey Abby," Michonne said loudly as she led Rick to her friend. "Look who I found."

"Deputy Grimes, it's nice to see you. How are you." Abigail asked with a smile.

"I'm doing fine. How are you?"

"There isn't as much pain now, and the bruises are beginning to fade, so I think I'm okay."

"That's great to hear. Michonne tells me the funeral is tomorrow; Shane and I will be there to support you." Rick told her.

"Thank you, that means a lot. Do you have any leads yet?"

"We have a couple; I was wondering if you would mind coming by the station when you get the chance. I have some questions, maybe you can shed some light on things for us."

" I can come by day after tomorrow. I have an appointment with Carol that morning, but I can stop by afterward."

"Sounds great. I'll let you get back to your shopping. It was good to see you again Michonne." The two women watched as the deputy turned the corner into the next aisle.

"Okay Chonne, I'll make you a deal. If you stop making comments about Daryl, I won't talk about how you and the deputy were eye fucking each other," Abigail said and laughed.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Michonne replied and continued walking down the aisle.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Noah stepped into the Sheriff's station and looked around. There was an older man in handcuffs sitting in the waiting room, and uniformed officers everywhere. He told the desk officer who he was and why he was there. He was told to sit and wait; a sketch artist would be out to get him shortly. Noah was nervous sitting next to the burly, handcuffed man and thankfully he didn't have to wait for long. 

The young man struggled to remember the tiny details, but did the best he could. The first suspect was short with light brunette hair and dark eyes. He was muscular with a thin face and bad teeth; he was wearing mechanics overalls, and appeared to be in his thirties. The second suspect was very tall, most likely over six feet. His hair was shockingly blonde and he appeared to be much younger than the first man; possibly in his twenties and also wore overalls. 

When he had finished, he approved the sketches saying that they were as accurate as he could remember and left the station. On his way home, Noah worried that this would send the deputies on a wild goose chase. He was almost positive these two men had nothing to do with Debbie's murder, because he was just as sure that he knew who did.


	9. Laid to Rest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deborah buries her sister, and the deputies are given new evidence.

Chapter Nine

 

Abigail was stirred awake by the sound of her phone; she blindly reached out to take it from the bedside table and accidentally knocked it onto the floor. By the time she picked it up, it had stopped ringing; the caller ID told her that it had been Daryl calling. She looked at the alarm clock and saw that it was seven thirty and remembered that today was the day she would say goodbye to her sister, and needed to hear Daryl's soothing voice. He picked up on the first ring. "Hey Abigail, good morning. How are you doing?" he said before she could even say hello,

"I don't know. I'm not sure if I'm gonna be able to function today." she said and got out of bed.

"I know what that feels like. I'm gonna be right by your side, okay. I'm gonna take care of you; make sure everything is alright." 

"Thank you Daryl. You don't know what it means to me to know that I've got someone who knows how I feel and what I'm going through. Most people think they know, but they don't."

"I'm gonna help you get through this. I know you're gonna be seeing Carol, and she's great by the way; she helped me out when my brother died, but I like you a lot and would like to be a part of the process. If you want me to."

"Thank you, and yes, I would love that. I like you too Daryl, and I appreciate how much you've helped me already. You helped me forget, even if it was just for a couple of hours, and that means a lot."

"I'm happy to help in any way I can. You just tell me what you need, and I'll be there. Is your friend driving you to the cemetery?"

"Yes, she won't let me drive yet; not until I'm a hundred percent. I don't blame her; I could burst into tears at any moment."

"My shoulder is always available if you need it; don't hesitate to cry on it if you need to."

"You're amazing Daryl, and I won't hesitate; I promise."

"Okay, I just wanted to check in; see how you were doing. I'll let you go so you can get yourself ready."

"I'll see you there, and thank you again."

"You don't have to thank me; just accept my help when you need it."

"I will. I'll talk to you later; bye Daryl."

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Abigail could see the tent as soon as Michonne pulled into the cemetery. The plot was not far past the gate and she saw people setting up chairs and arranging flowers. It was ten fifteen and no one else had arrived yet. She was glad to have this time alone with her sister; she sat in the front row and quietly told Deborah how much she missed her and regretted what their relationship had become. She told her sister that Caesar and the kids were coming and how much they all loved her. Soon she saw the squad car carrying Rick and Shane approaching. They hugged her tight and took their seats in the row behind her; Rick sitting very close to Michonne. Suddenly, more people arrived: Caesar, Glenn and the kids, Carol, Andrea, Daryl, Aaron, and a few of Deborah’s co-workers from the Tavern; who introduced themselves as Noah, Kyra, Krissy, Teagan and Theodore. Caesar and the children shared the front pew with Abigail, Daryl and Aaron sat directly behind her, and Carol wedged herself between Shane and Andrea.

The preacher had been recommended by the funeral director; he was the go to guy when the family didn't have a specific one in mind. Michonne had spoken to him briefly and told him a few things about Deborah; the good things, and a couple of funny stories from when the sisters were young. He did a wonderful job, and if no one knew any better, they would have thought the man had known her all his life. Abigail sobbed quietly throughout the service and felt Daryl's hand on her shoulder more that once; it was comforting and it centered her; keeping her in the moment. Abigail refused to watch them put her sister's casket in the ground and Daryl put his arm around her waist and walked her a good distance away from it all.

"It was a beautiful service; he was the same preacher that spoke at my brother's funeral. I didn't have to tell him much about Merle; he talked as if he'd known him for years."

"Yeah, Father Gabriel did a great job. She wasn't a bad person really; she was overwhelmed when mom and dad died and never recovered. She's not the only one to blame for her actions; she didn't know how to cope." They stopped walking and he hugged her tight; her tears falling on his shoulder, as they should. He glanced over and saw that the casket was now fully underground and the dirt was being shoveled back into the hole.

She looked up at him, tears still pooling in her eyes. "Michonne, Caesar, the kids and I are going to lunch after this. Would you like to join us?" she asked.

"If you're sure it's okay; I'd love to." he replied.

"Of course it is. I need all the support I can get right now, and I can't imagine spending time with the people who care about me and you not being there."

Daryl felt his heart swell and smiled at her. "I do care about you Abigail, and I will be there to support you whenever you need it."

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Andrea needed to speak to the deputies, but they were occupied at the moment. Rick was speaking to Michonne and Shane to Carol. She hovered around them hoping to get their attention. Finally, when Carol left, she approached Shane. "Hello Deputy Walsh. I was wondering if I could speak to you for a moment."

"Of course Ms. Harrison. I assume this has to do with the case?"

"Yes, it does," she replied. "I found something; I don't know if it means anything or has anything to do with the murder, but I thought I would let you make that decision."

"Alright, let's take a walk," Shane said and led the assistant DA to the squad car.

"Okay, tell me what you got."

She pulled a tissue from her purse and handed it to the deputy. "I found this a few days ago at the bottom of one of Phillip's dresser drawers." The deputy raised his eyebrows at her in question.

"I will lose my job if anyone finds out, but Phillip and I have been sleeping together, and if he finds out that I've given this to you, he will make sure I'm disbarred." Shane unwrapped the tissue to find a locket with the initials DE engraved on the front. "Open it," she told him. Inside he saw the picture of a much younger Phillip with a woman who looked a lot like their victim.

"And where did you say you found this?" he asked, inspecting the piece of jewelry.

"At the bottom of one of his dresser drawers, under a stack of shirts. I suspect that DE stands for Deborah Ellis, but I can't assume it. That's why I'm giving it to you; I don't want to think he had anything to do with this, but I can't dismiss it. You can't tell anybody where you got it from."

"Don't worry Ms. Harrison, all information regarding the investigation remains private. We can keep our sources and evidence from becoming public knowledge. Thank you for this. I hope he's not involved, but we'll let you know what this brings us."


	10. New Information

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abigail has an appointment with Carol, and helps the deputies interpret evidence. A new suspect arises.

Chapter Ten

 

Abigail arrived early for her appointment with Carol; she had taken a cab today because Michonne was working a double shift and Daryl and Aaron were on mornings now. She was anxious; she had never seen a psychologist before and didn't know what to expect. She signed in as soon as she got there and the receptionist handed her a clipboard with paperwork to fill out. She didn't have to wait long after turning in the clipboard; Carol came out and got her five minutes prior to her appointment time. "Come on back Abigail," she said and led her back to her office. "This is going to be a get to know each other session, so I can see where we need to go from here."

"Okay," Abigail said and sat down in the chair in front of Carol's large mahogany desk. "I've never done this before, so you're gonna have to walk me through it."

“That won't be a problem. Most of my new clients are first timers; we're here so I can find out as much about you, your sister, and the dynamics of your relationship as I can. Hopefully as you relate stories and details of your interactions, some memories of that night will resurface. If not, we can try hypnosis if you're interested."

"I'll tell you whatever you need to know if it will help." the young woman admitted, nervously flicking her fingers. "I honestly believe that there isn't anything for me to remember. I think I was knocked out before anything else happened."

"Sometimes our subconscious picks up on details when we're not paying attention. If you saw his face, or smelled his cologne, you may not have noticed it then, but those memories can be triggered by other things that your mind associates with them. If you smell his cologne again, you'll have deja vue."

"Sounds promising; I hope I can remember something. I can't stop wondering, if he suspects that I can identify him, he'll come back for me."

"I hope not," Carol replied. "So why don't we get started. I understand that Deborah was older than you; by how many years?"

"Five years. I know that isn't much, but for us it seemed like a million. We were very different; she was always a risk taker, even before our parents died. I always felt that I had to compensate for that. I was a good girl; never took any risks, always obeyed, and made good grades. I was twelve when they died; she was two months away from being eighteen. The court took pity on us and allowed her to become my legal guardian before her birthday. She resented me for that; no teenager, soon to be college student, should have the responsibility of rearing a child. She went wild after that; partying, unprotected sex, drugs. She ended up getting pregnant and then again three years later. Their father took custody of them and moved away. Then the drugs and the men became more of a problem; she ended up in jail and was released into my custody. She had to move in with me because she didn't have anywhere else to go. Another reason she hated me; I had my own house, job, and a car. She didn't have anything and thought that I felt that I was better than her."

"Unfortunately, that type of sibling relationship is more common than it should be. Older siblings who are thrust into adult responsibility earlier than they are prepared for usually act out in self-destructive ways. They feel robbed of their youth; it's not that she didn't love you it's just that she resented losing your parents. She didn't hate you; she hated losing her freedom, and the more successful you became in your adult life, the more she felt left out of her own."

"I know she loved me; she just was so far gone by the time she came to live with me, I think she forgot how to show it." Abigail said sadly.

"Did you socialize together? Did you know any of her friends?"

"No, not at all. She kept her private life private. I knew where she worked, but I never went there. She never talked about her day or her co-workers; she would go out at night, but I never knew where or with who. Someone would pick her up, but she would go out to meet them so I wouldn't ask any questions. So, I stopped asking questions; any interest in her life and she flew off the handle. She was still getting high too, and that made everything more difficult."

"Okay, let's talk about this person who was coming to get her. Do you remember seeing the vehicle?"

"I only ever saw headlights; it was always dark when they came by, and I was relegated to the back of the house when she was around. By the time I would get to the front window, they would be gone. I think she was getting ready to go out that night; the night she was killed."

"Tell me about that night, as you remember it," Carol asked.

"I was in the kitchen fixing something to eat; I hadn't seen Deborah since I got home, but I didn't think about it; I rarely saw her at all. I could hear the shower running, so I assumed she was going out again. I was about to go to my room to eat and read a little when the power went out. I keep candles in a drawer in the kitchen and while I was looking for them, somebody pushed me from behind and I hit my head on the edge of the sink. I was pretty much out after that, but I remember feeling all kinds of little stings all over my body; everything went black after that. Next think I know, I woke up in the hospital."

"Okay, do me a favor; if it's not too difficult for you, I'd like you to close your eyes and picture everything that happened that night. I'm not going to hypnotize you, just give your subconscious a chance to remember on its own."

Abigail rested her head back on the chair and closed her eyes. She envisioned being in the kitchen; she was fixing a sandwich and could hear the shower in her sister's room running. After the power went out, she worked her way across the room to the drawer where she kept the candles. She almost tripped over something heavy and hard, but made it. She remembered a musky smell, then felt a hand on the back of her head push her down onto the corner of the sink; that's when she felt the stings and fell to the floor.

"Alright, so you tripped over something? That wasn't in your original statement, and the musky smell. Do you have any idea what the item on the floor could have been?"

"No, I never had a pet, so it wouldn't have been a food or water bowl. Unless something fell off the counter, I have no idea what it could have been."

"Can you remember what it felt like? Did it hurt to trip over it?" Carol asked.

"It was heavy, and it hurt. I thought I'd broken a toe at first. I was wearing socks, so I couldn't tell what it was made of." 

"Did you recognize the smell? Had you smelled it before?"

"I don't think so. I wasn't awake too long after that."

Carol looked at her watch and saw that their time was almost up. "Okay Abigail, this was a great first session. You've already remembered a couple of things that could be significant for the investigation; how do you feel about that?"

"It feels great; I've been a little depressed, but this makes me feel good.:

"That's great. I'll call Rick and Shane and give them the new information." Carol offered.

"I'm going to the station after this. Rick said they have a few more questions for me, so I can tell them while I'm there." Abigail said as she rose to leave.

"Great! I'd like to see you again next week, okay?"

"Sure, thank you Carol. I think you're going to help me a lot. Thank you so much."

"I love helping people when I can Abigail; I think this will be good for you."

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Rick and Shane were in the break room when Abigail arrived, and they quickly let her back to one of the interrogation rooms. "Some new information and evidence has come to light recently, and we'd like to ask you a few questions." Shane said as he pulled out a chair for her.

"I'll help as much as can, but I can't promise anything." she replied.

Rick cleared his throat. “We went to the Terminus Tavern to speak to her co-workers. First of all, we were unaware that your neighbor Gareth is a bartender there."

"What? I didn't know that. Of course I've never been there, and Deborah never talked about her job. Wow, what does that mean exactly?"

"It may not mean anything," Rick said, "but I wondered if you were aware of that."

"No, I didn't know about that." She replied, and wondered if the man had anything to do with what happened to her sister. 

"Alright, well we found out that there had been an incident or two where Gareth had to throw a couple of men out of the bar for harassing your sister. These two men haven't been seen in the tavern since the last time they were there. Did Deborah mention these incidents to you?" Shane asked her.

"No, she didn't ever tell me anything about her job. I didn't even know my next door neighbor worked with her. She never told me anything."

"Well then," Shane said, and pulled a tissue from his shirt pocket. "We received a possible piece of evidence and we want to know if you recognize it. Did this belong to your sister?"

Abigail took the tissue and unwrapped it. "Where did you find this?"

"I can't tell you who turned it in to us; we promised to keep their identity a secret, but did it belong to your sister?"

"Yes, it was Deborah's; I haven't seen it in years. I had forgotten all about this."

"Do you know the man in the picture with her?"

"Not well, I only saw him a couple of times and we were never introduced. She started seeing him after our parents died. He was her dealer." Shane and Rick's jaws dropped to the floor. 

"Are you sure about that? She told you that he was her dealer?" Rick asked.

"No, but I heard them talking about it. She would buy pills and cocaine from him. I don't know if she was sleeping with him, but she slept with most everybody. She told me to stay away from him, so I did. Is he a suspect?"

The deputies looked at each other. "He is now," Rick said. 

"Thanks for coming by Abigail, you've helped us out a lot. We'll let you know if we get any leads from this."

"Oh, before I go, I just had a session with Carol and I remembered a couple of things about that night. After the power went out, I tripped over something on the floor. It was hard and heavy, like a rock. Also, right before I got bashed over the head, I smelled something musky; I didn't recognize it though."

"Good job Abigail. We'll get in touch with Atlanta, get them to look at the evidence brought back from the crime scene and see if anything was found in the kitchen. We really appreciate you coming by, thank you."

The deputies walked Abigail to her car and once again, promised her that they would find her sister's killer.


	11. Dinner With Abigail

Chapter 11

 

Abigail was rushing around the kitchen; her guests would be arriving in thirty minutes and she hadn't even put the chicken in the oven yet. She was making Chicken Parmesan and had the marinara sauce on the stove; she had to toss the salad, bake the chicken, and put the garlic bread in the toaster oven. She was so nervous that she already had her shower, fixed her hair and put on her make-up. She had made the chicken parm a million times and could do it in her sleep; she was a little giddy about Daryl being there. Aaron and his boyfriend would be there too, but ever since the funeral, she couldn't get Daryl off her mind.

 

The doorbell rang fifteen minutes before they were due to arrive; she straitened her sundress and took one last look in the mirror before answering the door. "Hello Aaron, how are you? Come on in." 

"I'm great Abigail. This is my boyfriend Eric; thank you so much for inviting us." Aaron said and gave her a hug.

"Hello Eric. It's so wonderful to meet you; I'm glad you could come. I want you to know how grateful I am for what you do; for what you did for me."

"It's my job, and I love being able to help people when I can. I'm very happy that Daryl and I could be there for you."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Eric asked. As Abigail was closing the door, Daryl appeared. 

"Hey Abigail. Looks like I'm late," he said as he walked inside.

"No, man." Aaron told him. "We just got here; gonna help out if we can."

"Cool, just let me know what to do, and probably how to do it. I'm not good in the kitchen." Daryl said and laughed.

"It's okay, I don't really need any help. The salad and the bread are the only things that are left; I just put the chicken in the oven, so there's thirty minutes on that. You can go into the living room and watch tv if you'd like. I have sweet tea, lemonade, coke, beer or I could make coffee; what would you like to drink?"

"I would love some sweet tea, Abigail. Just tell me where the glasses are and I can get it." Aaron said. 

"Glasses are in the second cabinet above the counter. Y'all help yourself to whatever you want." Daryl didn't move, but stayed next to Abigail while Aaron and Eric made their way into the living room. 

"I, uh, brought you these," he said and pulled a bouquet of wildflowers from behind his back. "I should have brought you flowers when I picked you up for lunch, but I wasn't thinking straight," he said sheepishly.

"They're beautiful Daryl. Thank you; you didn't have to bring me flowers." she said and blushed a hot shade of pink. She took them from him and put them in some water and a vase, sitting them on the table as a centerpiece. 

"Well, I know that, but I wanted you to know how much I appreciated you cooking dinner for me, uh, us."

"It's not a big deal. I love to cook, and y'all gave me an excuse to do it again. I know you said you’re no good in the kitchen, but could you put the bread in the toaster oven. I already have everything set, all you have to do is put the cookie sheet in and turn it on. Think you can handle that?" She smirked at him.

"I'm a pretty good button pusher; I don't think I'll burn the place down." He smiled at her and put the tray in the oven and closed the door. "Uh, Abigail, which button is it?" he asked looking a bit blushed.

"The green one; the one that says 'start'." She walked across the kitchen and took his finger and pressed it to the green button. "See, you're not that horrible in the kitchen." She smiled brightly and her eyes shined in the artificial light. Daryl grinned and watched her ass swing as she turned and walked away.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Dinner was a success; there wasn't a crumb left when everyone was finished. They talked and laughed, and Abigail forgot, for a short time, that she had just buried her sister. Aaron and Daryl told funny and unusual stories of things they had seen and experienced on the job; the funniest being Daryl's story of picking up a couple who had accidentally become super glued together while having sex. Eric told everyone about his job as a graphic designer and all the big clients he had in Atlanta. She had made Coca Cola cake for dessert, but everyone was too full for it now, so they adjourned to the living room and made more small talk; Abigail related a few funny stories about her childhood. They talked about the investigation briefly, but Abigail didn't tell them what she had learned from Rick and Shane. They were having such a good time, dessert had been forgotten, so when Aaron and Eric announced they were leaving, Abigail packed a couple of pieces for them to take home.

Daryl announced that he would stay with her until Michonne came home from her double shift, so she cut them each a piece of cake and they settled back in the living room to watch a movie. She let Daryl choose from Michonne's collection and he settled on Die Hard. "It's a classic," he said. "Merle and I watched it every time it was on tv. He preferred Clint Eastwood and Charles Bronson, but he knew this was my favorite and he'd always watch with me."

"You still miss him?" she asked.

"Of course I do; I'll never stop missing him. It hurts less as time goes by, but I still think about him all the time; always will. You will too, but I'm here for you if you need anybody; you know, my shoulder and all." She scooted closer to him on the couch and he wrapped his arm around her as she lay her head on his shoulder. "How did your appointment with Carol go?"

"It went very well. I actually remembered a couple of things about that night."

"That's good; I hope it helps the investigation. That's the only part of this whole thing that I can't help you with; it was obvious how Merle died and why." She sat up and looked at him expectantly. "Remember, I told you he was into drugs and alcohol? He OD'd in the town meth den. He'd been gone for about a week before he was found. Whenever he got paid, he'd buy his shit and be gone for a few days. I always gave him his time, and he always came back home. The last time he'd been gone longer than usual, so Rick and Shane helped me look for him. He'd been dead for three days when we found him."

"I'm so sorry Daryl. I assumed Deborah would end up that way. I don't know if that would have been better or worse."

"Ain't no better or worse where this is concerned. Either way, their still gone." They looked into each other's sad eyes and Daryl cupped her cheek and pulled her close. She could feel his breath on her lips and when she closed her eyes, she heard the back door open.

"Hey girl, I'm home! How'd your dinner go, oh." she said as she threw her purse on the chair and suddenly noticed that Daryl was still there and holding her roommate in his arms. "Oops, sorry. Didn't realize dinner was still going on. I'll just go take a shower and go to bed. Nice to see you again Daryl."

The man blushed seven shades of red. "Nice to see you too Michonne." He backed himself away from Abigail and stood up. "I should be getting home. I got early shift tomorrow." She followed him to the door and walked to his bike with him.

"Thank you for dinner. It was wonderful; I would offer to cook for you, but we've already had this conversation." he said smiling, and brushed his fingers through her hair.

"I don't mind doing the cooking if it means you'll come back."

"I'll definitely come back Abigail; even if you don't cook." He placed his hand on the back of her head and pulled her into a soft, sweet kiss.


	12. Dead Ends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick and Shane go on a wild goose chase, but end up with a potential new suspect. Daryl remembers his night with Abigail.

Chapter 12

 

Rick and Shane had about all they could stand. They had been to every mechanic in town, and few out of town, but no one knew the two suspects. There was one more shop on their list and Shane was ready to turn around and go home. "Rick, come on. You know we're gonna get the same story from them that we've gotten from everybody else. Don't know 'em, never seen 'em. Do you have any idea how much taxpayer money we've wasted on gas? Why don't we just go back to the station; we can fake a report. They're all gonna sound the same anyway."

"You know we can't do that Shane; this is a murder investigation. Any mistakes on our part and either we never catch the killer, or he walks if we do. I don't want to have to break that news to Abigail." Rick said as he looked over his notes so far. "It's just one more shop, then we get to go back to the station and write it all up." 

Unfortunately, Shane was right; the last shop was a bust. These two men had appeared and disappeared in a virtual cloud of smoke with no witnesses save the employees at the Tavern. With a trail that had gone cold, Shane drove them back to the station. "We still have Gareth and Phillip Blake we need to check out."

"Alright, we'll postpone the paperwork until Dale gets up our ass about it. We need to run Gareth through the system and do a background check; I wish we had a legal excuse to get his DNA." Rick said.

"Maybe we'll find something in the system," Shane said hopefully.

"We need to talk to Phillip; we should go to his office, that will be the best place to catch him."

"Yeah," Shane replied, "but we need to think of an explanation for where we got that locket. I promised Andrea he wouldn't know. How's he not gonna know Rick; it was in his goddamn dresser drawer. Who else has access to that?"

Rick exhaled sharply. " I don't know partner. We need to brainstorm, and fast."

**************************************************************************************************************************************

When they arrived back at the station, Sherriff Horvath was sitting in their office waiting for them. "Hello boys. I have some news from forensics."

"Really," Rick said, surprised. "What is it?"

"They've been able to isolate a full print from the murder scene. They're running it through the database, but haven't found a match yet. They'll keep trying though. You have any luck finding those two suspects?"

"Nope." Rick told him. "Went to every mechanic’s shop in two counties and nobody's even smelled their breath."

"Do you really think they're involved?" the Sherriff asked his deputies.

"I don't think they are." Shane answered "We've got better, more likely suspects than them. We need to check into this Gareth guy and unfortunately, we need to speak to DA Blake. That locket is important, but we can't bring it up without revealing Andrea was the one who gave it to us."

"Then don't mention the locket," Dale offered. "He wants updates on the case; go to his office and tell him about the guys from the bar and where you got with that. Tell him about Gareth too. You can mention the victims past as per what her sister told you and see if you get a reaction, then if you feel there's a valid reason for it, we'll do a background on him and try for a warrant."

**************************************************************************************************************************************

The deputies walked into the DA's office and waited in the lobby for Phillip Blake to call for them. They saw Andrea walking about and gave her a hopefully comforting smile. She looked nervous, and the two men tried their best to let her know she was safe. When the receptionist called their names, Rick and Shane followed her back to Blake's office. 

"Hello deputies," Phillip said smiling and shook their hands. "Do you have news on the murder investigation?"

Shane cleared his throat. "The sister, Abigail, told us that the victim worked at the Terminus Tavern, so we went there and interviewed a few of her co-workers. They reported that there had been a couple of men who had to be thrown out on two separate occasions for harassing Ms. Ellis. No one had seen them before or after the incidents and didn't know who they were except that they were wearing mechanics overalls. We checked every body shop in two counties and nobody had seen them."

"We also found out that one of the bartenders, Gareth, is her next door neighbor and the person who made the 911 call," Rick added.

"I assume you're going to check out this Gareth person?" Phillip asked.

"Of course," Shane said. "Dale already has it in the works."

"Good," the DA replied. "Does he seem like a viable suspect?"

"Yeah, he does." Rick said. "We interviewed him briefly on the night of the murder and he said he didn't know either of the girls well. He didn't tell us he worked with the victim."

"Alright then, is there anything else?" Phillip asked.

"Abigail also told us, her sister had a drug problem in the past. Apparently her dealer thought he was in love with her," Rick said, relaxing in his chair, waiting for the DA's response.

"Did you get a name or description of the man?"

"No," Rick told him. "She never saw him and Deborah never talked about him. She heard his voice once, but it was so long ago, she doesn't think she would recognize it."

Phillip visibility relaxed at that point. "Well, there isn't much we can do with that bit of information, is there? I think this Gareth fellow is your best bet. Let me know what you find out about him. If you need warrants, I can get them fast. We don't need to waste any more time twiddling our thumbs on this."

"No sir, we don't," Shane said as he stood up. "We'll contact you as soon as we find out something." 

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Daryl woke up the next morning with a smile on his face. He had gone to bed last night thinking of Abigail and the kiss they shared. That kiss had seeped into his subconscious and turned into an amazing dream. 

She was riding on the back of his motorcycle; they were going down a long, curvy stretch of road and she was whispering in his ear. He had no idea what she was saying, but they were laughing together and she was holding onto him tightly. Then they were walking in the woods holding hands; he had his crossbow strapped to his back and a couple rabbits tied to his belt. They came across a cabin and traversed the steps to the front door. He picked her up in his arms and carried her across the threshold. Once inside the cabin she kissed him, and started speaking again, but he couldn't understand what she was saying. Suddenly, they were in a bedroom; the same shitty bedroom he had growing up. He had woken up just as he began undressing her.

Despite the sadly unfinished dream, he smiled when he remembered it. He wanted to always remember it, and took a notebook from the top of his dresser and wrote it down. The smile never left his face, and Aaron noticed the moment he got into Daryl's truck that morning. "So, you had a good time after we left?" He asked, grinning from ear to ear and nudging Daryl's arm.

"Yeah, I did, we did; I think. I stayed until Michonne got home. We watched a movie and talked for a while. They got some leads on the case and she was really happy about that."

"Anything else happen that you might want to tell your best friend in the whole world?" Aaron asked and slyly winked at the other man.

Daryl blushed and kept his eyes on the road ahead of them. "She walked me to the bike, when I was leaving, and asked if I'd come over for dinner again sometime. I told her that would love to." He paused, and the blush across his cheeks spread over his entire face. "Then I, kinda kissed her."

"Kinda?" Aaron asked, confused.

"I did kiss her," Daryl said, slightly annoyed. "I haven't kissed anyone in a long time; it was amazing. Her lips are so soft; I think I'm in love with her. I even had a dream about her last night."

"You need to tell her Daryl. The sooner you do it, the less time you waste being alone when you don't have to be."

Daryl thought for a moment. "I know, but what if she don't like me like that? That's gonna be hard to get over."

"If she doesn’t feel the same way, then I'll buy you enough booze to stay drunk for a week. Just take her out again; smother her in Dixon charm. She won't be able to resist."

Daryl pulled his truck into the hospital parking lot and turned the engine off. "You better be right, fucker, 'cause it takes an awful damn lot to get me drunk."

**************************************************************************************************************************************

By the end of his shift, Daryl decided that he would bite the bullet and tell Abigail how he felt. She wouldn't have kissed him back the way she did if she didn't have feelings for him, right? He was nervous when he got home, but wanted to hear her sweet voice. He took a shower first to relax and think about what he would say. He was off the next day and wanted to spend it with her. 

After his shower, he sat on his bed in only a towel and stared at the phone in his hand. He had called her many times before, but was having a hard time pushing that one button that would connect them. Finally, he closed his eyes and did it; he listened to the phone dial and took a deep breath. "Hello?"

"Hey Abigail. It's Daryl."

"I'm so glad you called. How are you?" Her voice was chipper and she seemed to be in a pretty good mood.

"I'm fine; got home from work a little while ago." He cleared his throat. "How are you?"

"I'm great. How was your day?"

"It was pretty boring. Had a fender bender out on Highway 96, and an old man who thought he was having a heart attack; it was just indigestion though." He took a deep breath; her voice always made him feel more relaxed. "You sound happy; what did you do today?"

"Nothing much. I took a walk, got a little fresh air. Watched some television."

"Sounds nice," he replied. "Uh, do you have plans for tomorrow?"

"No, why?"

"I got the day off and thought we could spend it together; if you want to."

He could sense her smiling through the phone. "I would love to! You know, I've been thinking about last night. I had so much fun; I haven't had a night like that in a while."

"Me neither," Daryl said. "I had a great time, and you're a great cook, and . . . I want to see you again."

"I want to see you again too Daryl," Abigail said softly. 

"Good," he replied. "You ever ride a motorcycle?"

"No, but I've always wanted to. You'll take me for a ride?" She asked excitedly.

Daryl's mind went straight to the gutter, but didn't react to it. "Yeah, I'll take you to this place I go a lot. It's real peaceful and quiet, and there's great scenery."

"That sounds amazing, Daryl. I can't wait."

"I'll pick you up around nine, is that okay?" He asked her.

"Perfect, I'll be ready and waiting." Daryl could feel her excitement in his bones.

"Alright then, I'll see you in the morning. Have a good night Abigail."

"You too, Daryl. Goodnight."


	13. If it Quacks Like a Duck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl and Abigail spend the day together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To my knowledge, the Civil Gallery does not exist. I'm not sure there is a place like it, but I would love to go there if there was.

Chapter 13

 

The next morning, Daryl woke up before his alarm went off. He was eager and anxious to spend the day with Abigail. He had three hours before he was picking her up, but couldn't go back to sleep, so he went to the kitchen and made a pot of coffee. He flipped through the news stations, but couldn't focus on what he was hearing. Daryl decided to take a shower, hoping that it would distract him long enough to kill some time. In retrospect, a cold shower would have been a better idea, because his thoughts never strayed far from the woman he was falling in love with. He thought of the other night and how, even though Aaron and Eric had been with them, she seemed to center her focus on him. She was always smiling at him and laughing at his stories. She may have been doing the same with the other two men, but he was too focused on her to notice.

He remembered how soft her hair and lips were, and how good it felt to hold her close. His imagination moved on from there, to her skin and how silky it would be, and her breasts and how perfectly they would fit in his hands and mouth. Daryl was getting hard and decided to take care of himself; he couldn’t spend the whole day with a hard on. 

He moved his hand from base to tip and squeezed the head lightly. A soft moan escaped him and he closed his eyes as his head rolled back onto his shoulders. He thought of that night after dinner, being alone with her, and what could have happened if Michonne hadn't come home. Daryl could see it clearly in his mind; kissing her lips, her neck, and moving down to her chest. He felt the silk of her flesh and tasted the saltiness of her skin. He ran his thumb over his slit and his breathing stuttered. He moved his hand up and down on his dick, slowly at first, then increasing his speed as his fantasy progressed. 

He felt her hands on his chest as she removed his shirt and his dick jumped in his hand. She kissed him and her tongue explored his mouth as their hands covered each other. His pace increased and he leaned his head against his forearm on the tiled wall. The image of her body and his united in heat and passion made his knees weak and his ball drew up, expelling hot come over his hand. He stood on shaky legs trying to catch his breath; the feeling of euphoria coursing through him. Once he had composed himself, he finished his shower and dried off, heading to his bedroom to get dressed. 

As he was getting ready, he had a great idea on how to see Abigail sooner; jerking off in the shower had not quelled his desire to see her face and hear her voice. He called her around seven thirty and asked if she would like to have breakfast with him before they went on their motorcycle ride. Of course she said yes and he told her he would see her in thirty minutes. When he arrived at Michonne's house, he grabbed his saddlebag before going up to the door; he had brought a few things for her that she might need for the trip and wanted to make sure she liked them. She greeted him with a smile and a snug embrace. "I wasn't going to tell you this, but I've been awake since six this morning. I'm so excited, I couldn't sleep," she giggled.

Daryl laughed along with her. "Me too. That's why I suggested breakfast. Waiting till nine was gonna be torture." They sat together on the sofa and he began to unpack the saddlebag.

"I've never ridden on a motorcycle before. I've always wanted to, but apparently, most men are very particular about who they let ride behind them," she said as she watched him empty his bag.

"Nobody would let you ride with them? Why not? I can't wait for everybody to see you on the back of my bike," he said, looking deep into her eyes.

"I don't know; maybe I wasn't what they wanted to be seen with." 

He leaned in and chastely kissed her lips. "It's hard to believe a man wouldn't want to be seen with you wrapped around him."

Abigail giggled at his words, suddenly feeling a little shy and awkward. "So, what is this?" She asked, trying to change the subject.

"I know it's gonna be pretty warm out today, but I brought a leather riding jacket for you. The wind is gonna be pretty harsh and I don't want you to get burned by the wind or the sun. I got a helmet for ya too, it's out on the bike."

"Thank you, Daryl. That's very thoughtful of you." She said, and stood to put on the jacket. He quickly stood with her to assist.

"I like thinking about you," he whispered in her ear. He stood behind her with his hands on her shoulders and buried his face in her hair. This was either going to be the best day of his life, or the worst. "We better go if we're gonna eat; don't want to miss breakfast." Abigail grabbed her keys and shoved her phone and wallet in her back pockets. Daryl helped her with her helmet and got her situated on the bike. "Okay, ya gotta hold on tight, move with me into the turns, and keep your eyes open or else you'll miss the scenery." He pulled her arms around his waist and she locked her fingers together over his tight stomach. His muscles flinched under her touch as she squeezed him lightly. They both smiled inside their helmets all the way to the diner.

When they arrived, Daryl took her to a booth in the back; the diner wasn't very crowded, but he wanted them to have their privacy. They each ordered a short stack with eggs and bacon, and coffee to drink. "So, did you enjoy the ride?" 

"I have never felt anything that exciting before; I can't describe it. It was exhilarating, and breathtaking, and sexy."

Daryl smiled embarrassingly. "I think that describes it pretty well."

"It was absolutely thrilling; I could feel the vibrations through my whole body. I still can; I think I could get addicted to that." Her excitement was unmistakable, and contagious. 

"We can ride all day; we can go anywhere you want." He was interrupted by the arrival of their food, and the conversation was dropped temporarily. He eyed her over his food and noticed how her mouth moved as she chewed and swallowed. She looked back at him and smiled with her mouth closed, her eyes wide and shining. Knowing he had put that smile on her face and the light in her eyes, made his heart swell. 

When their plates were empty and the bill payed, they jumped on the bike again; he loved the feeling of her arms around him and her body against his. He took them through the country backroads and they rode for an hour before he stopped at the county line. Veering off the established route, he took them through the woods until they came to a creek that at some point ran into the Yellow Jacket River. Daryl helped her off the bike and out of the helmet and they walked to the water's edge.

"You were right; it's beautiful here." Abigail said as she sat in the dirt by the stream.

Daryl sat next to her. "I knew that you'd like it here. You seem like the type of woman who can appreciate nature and I wanted to share this place with you. I used to come here all the time when I was growing up; it was kinda my special place."

She looked over at him and took his hand. "I'm glad you did. This seems like a great place to relax and forget about things. I really need that right now. Thank you."

He squeezed her hand and they looked out over the water. "My grandpa had a hunting cabin out here, about five miles away. I could show it to you, if you want. We could hike it or ride the bike."

"How long would it take to walk it?" she asked.

"Maybe an hour depending on how fast we go, but we should take our time. I want to show you where I grew up." He stood and helped her up. "This was more my home than the place my daddy lived." He took her hand and they walked into the forest together, so closely their shoulders bumped against each other.

"This is the best date I've ever been on," she said. 

"I'm glad, and it ain't over yet. We got all day, remember? I got plans." He said and smirked.

"There's more?" she asked. "An amazing ride on your bike, beautiful scenery, and a quiet walk in the woods isn't enough?"

"No, it's not. The rest is a surprise, so you'll just have to wait." He looked up and saw the cabin coming into view. "There it is," he said and walked faster. He pulled a keychain from his pants pocket and opened the door. It was dusty, musty, and small, but Abigail loved it. 

"How long has it been since anyone has been here?" She asked as she followed him in.

"It's been about five or six years; last time I was here; I was with Merle. It was right before he died. I thought a week away might help him; I thought spending time together would help him." Abigail put her arms around his waist and her head against his chest. 

"He was beyond help at that point, Daryl. Nothing could have changed what happened, just like there isn't anything I could have done to prevent Deborah's murder." She looked up at him. "He loved you, and I'm sure the time you spent here together meant a lot to him." He lay his palm on her cheek and touched his lips to hers. He wanted to tell her he loved her; it was the sole reason he had asked to spend the day with her. How could he not love her when she said things like that to him, and looked at him with those soulful, perceptive eyes, but his nerves blocked the words from coming.

He chased her lips when she pulled away, and opened his eyes to see her smiling at him. "Do I get a tour?"

He turned her around and stood behind her. "You're standing in the living room, I guess." He pointed to the left. "That's the kitchen, and that's the bedroom," he said pointing to a mattress in the corner. "The bathroom is outside."

"There's an outhouse?"

"No, it's outside. You just gotta pick a spot." She laughed and he smiled.  
"You want to stick around, or go back?"

Abigail looked around the room again. "Are you sure this place is safe?"

"Hmm, yeah it's safe, but pretty damn dirty. Maybe we should walk back. Let's ride around on the bike for a while."

"I love that idea." They went back to the stream and got on the bike. "I've had a lot of fun so far. I can't wait to see what's next," she said and put her helmet on.

"Well, I hope you like it," he replied and they sped off on the bike.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

An hour later, they entered the city of Atlanta. Daryl was taking her to one of his favorite places, the Civil Gallery. When he lived here, he came every week. He had always loved art, but didn't have the talent for it. These paintings were from the Civil War era, and most were by black artists; it was his way of kicking his father in the balls.

When Abigail realized where they were, she got excited again. "I've always wanted to come here! I took a few art appreciation classes in college, but was never able to come see this."

"I've been here so many times, I got the whole place memorized. Let me show you around." It took them an hour to walk through the entire gallery and Abigail was in awe of the talent on display. Daryl knew everything about the artists and their work, and educated her with all his knowledge. She was impressed by what he knew, and listened, enraptured by his words. When they left, they walked down the street to a café for lunch. After they ordered sandwiches and coffee, Daryl excused himself to make a phone call and went outside. He dialed a number he knew by heart and waited for someone to answer.

"Hey Eric, it's Daryl. How are y'all doing?"

"We're doing great. How are you?"

"I'm going pretty great myself. Listen, I know it's kinda last minute, but I need you to do me a favor if you can."

"Sure Daryl. We'd be happy to. What do you need?"

Daryl cleared his throat. "I'm with Abigail; we're spending the day together. We're in Atlanta right now, and I was hoping that you'd be able to work some of your kitchen magic for me? I'm assuming Aaron told you about our conversation yesterday?"

"Yeah, I heard about that. Have you told her yet?"

"No, I'd like to do it over a nice dinner and I was hoping you'd be willing to go to my house and make some magic happen." Daryl was getting nervous again just thinking about the whole thing. 

"You won't be disappointed Daryl, I promise. It will be the most romantic dinner she's ever had. I'm so excited! I have to get to work. What time will you be home? Does she eat meat?""

Daryl looked at his watch. "It's two o'clock now, I'd say we'll be at my house around six, maybe. I can call you when we leave the city. That'll give you an hours' notice."

"Sounds great! Is there something special you want me to fix?" Eric asked him.

"No, I trust you. You've never fixed anything that I didn't like."

"Great! I'm so excited for you! I won't let you down Daryl."

"I know you won't Eric. I'll call you when we leave, okay."

"Okay, goodbye Daryl."

Daryl hung up and went back inside where Abigail was already sitting at a table with their food. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, no big deal; just had to ask Eric a question." He noticed Abigail had a strange look on her face. "Everything okay? Is there something wrong?"

"I don't know," she replied. "Do you smell that? The cologne?"

"Yeah, smells like someone took a bath in it," Daryl said, smirking.

"Yeah, but that's not it. It's familiar, I think it's the same thing that the man who killed my sister was wearing." They both looked around the café, but didn't recognize anyone. "Do you think he's here?"

"Fuck, I don't know," Daryl said as he continued to look around the room. "Unless you want to sniff every man in the room, I don't think we'll find him."

"I'm not doing that," she said with distain. "It's probably not him anyway." She sighed loudly and went back to eating. Daryl hadn't wanted her to think about her sister, or the murder and investigation today. He wanted to give her time away from all of it, and he realized it was out of his hands.

"So, you liked the gallery?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

"I loved it! Can we come back sometime?"

"We can come back whenever you want." Daryl said. They finished their lunch and Daryl and Abigail walked around the city. They made plans to come back and see all the touristy things together, and when their legs were sore and Abigail started getting hungry again, they decided to return home.

"So, when do I get my surprise?" Abigail asked when they reached the bike.

"Hopefully when we get back home. Hold on, I gotta call Eric." He dialed the numbers again and Eric confirmed that everything would be ready when they arrived. "Alright, let’s head back; everything should be ready when we get there." Abigail clung to him tightly the whole ride home; every now and then she would splay her palms out on his stomach, and it sent shivers down Daryl's spine. He imagined her hands moving lower and felt his dick twitch.

He was able to make it to his house before his thoughts became too much to handle; as soon as he turned off the engine, Abigail immediately took off her helmet. "Did you buy me a house?" She asked, laughing.

Daryl laughed along with her. "No, this is my place. I thought we could have a nice dinner together." She followed him up the walkway to the front door where they found a note taped. 

 

Daryl,  
Everything is ready. I put it in the oven to keep it warm, but you might have to warm it up a bit. I hope y'all enjoy it. Tell Abigail we say 'hi'.  
Aaron and Eric

 

He handed the note to her and unlocked the door. "Is this what you were talking to Eric about earlier?" She asked as he led her into the kitchen. 

"Yeah, I'm not that great a cook, as you know, and he could make a pile of shit taste good." He flipped the light switch and Abigail gasped when she saw what the two men had done. The table was set elegantly with china and wine glasses above a beige table cloth with a rose embroidered on it.

"This is beautiful," she exclaimed. 

Daryl came up behind her and took her jacket. "Yeah, I didn't expect this." Daryl replied. "Have a seat I'll get everything out." He pulled a covered pan out of the oven and sat it on the table. Abigail took the top off and revealed the steaming lasagna.

"Oh my God! This looks amazing," she said, and licked her lips. "This is homemade, isn't it?"

"Yep," Daryl said as he reached back into the oven and took out a loaf of garlic bread. "He makes everything from scratch." Daryl got in the fridge to get drinks and found a bowl of fresh salad and two bottles of wine. "Well, looks like we're gonna have a good night," he said waiving the bottle around. "There's a corkscrew in the drawer, could you get it?"

When Abigail got back to the table, Daryl had filled her plate and was working on his own. She uncorked the wine and poured each of them a glass. As they enjoyed the meal, they talked about their day together and how much fun they had. Just like breakfast and lunch, the two stole glances at each other over their meal when they weren't speaking. When the plates were empty, she helped him put up the leftovers and the dishes in the dishwasher. They went into the living room and relaxed on the couch. "This has been the most amazing day. I haven't had this much fun in forever; thank you Daryl."

"I'm glad," he replied. "You deserve to smile and be happy, and I'm glad I could do that for you." He put his hand on her waist and leaned in to kiss her. Her lips met his thirstily, and his tongue slid into her mouth. Their arms wrapped around each other and soon his lips were on her neck. She moaned breathlessly and corded her fingers through his hair. Daryl scraped his teeth lightly over her clavicle and licked the spot, causing her to moan louder. 

He didn't want to stop; he wanted to continue kissing her, and touch her bare skin, but was afraid it would be too much for her right now, so he pulled his lips away and cupped her cheeks with his hands. "Abigail, are you alright?"

He eyes were closed and she was smiling at him. "Yes," she answered. "I'm perfect." She opened her eyes to see a look of concern on Daryl's face. "What's wrong?"

He brushed his thumb across her cheek. "I love just being here, alone with you. I love kissing you, but I don't want to do anything that you don't want. I would make love to you, right here, right now, but I don't think you're ready for that."

She moved her body closer to his. "I love the way you kiss me, and I don't want you to stop. Deborah's death and the investigation, it's too much sometimes, but being with you makes me feel better. You make me forget all the horrible things that have happened. Your right though, I'm probably not ready for that."

"It's okay Abigail. You have too much on your mind right now, and I understand that." He kissed her softly and held her tightly to his chest. "Do you want me to take you home?"

"I don't want to go home," she said quietly.

"Then don't; spend the night here, with me. Let me hold you; we'll just sleep, okay?" 

"Okay," she replied softly, and stood with him following him into the hallway. 

His bedroom was a mess, and he quickly picked clothes off the floor and threw them in a basket in the corner. "Sorry about the mess; I wasn't expecting company when I left this morning." 

She giggled. "It's okay, I don't mind." It was awkward getting undressed; Abigail stripping down to her tank top and panties, and Daryl sleeping in his t-shirt and boxers. She slipped between the sheets while he turned the lights off and climbed in beside her. They lay, facing each other and he pulled her close, wrapping his arm around her. 

"Goodnight Abigail," he said and caressed the skin of her back.

"Goodnight Daryl," replied and snuggled herself into his embrace.


	14. A Little "Me" Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abigail helps Michonne prepare for a date. She and Daryl make confessions.

Chapter 14

 

Abigail woke the next morning with Daryl's arms around her. She could feel his chest rise with his steady breathing and knew that he was still sleeping. Her one arm was across his chest and his was around her back; her head lay on his shoulder. She smiled and ran her fingers over his skin. She was happy with the way the night had ended, and hoped that Daryl felt the same. He had informed her that although he wanted her, he believed that it was too soon for them; he didn't want to rush things and ruin what this could become. She loved the way he touched her and kissed her, and she wanted more, but agreed with him. She had never spent the night in bed with a man and just slept; it made the morning sun brighter.

Daryl soon began to stir, and Abigail felt his arm tighten around her. There was a lazy smile on his face, but his eyes were still closed. He ran his fingers up her arm and she giggled. "Good morning sweetheart," he said in a rough, sleepy voice.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" She asked.

He opened his eyes and looked down at her. "Best sleep I've had in a while. How about you?"

"Like a baby," she replied. "What time do you have to be at work?"

He turned to look at the alarm clock. "We got a couple hours before I have to pick up Aaron at nine thirty. We're working a split shift today; ten to eight. We got enough time to get breakfast before I take you home, if you want."

"I'd like that; I'm pretty hungry."

"Me too. Let me jump in the shower and we can go." He put his hand on her cheek and met her halfway for a sweet, slow kiss. "I won't be long. We can go the diner we went to yesterday, if that's okay."

"That's perfect. Is it okay if I take some of that lasagna home? Michonne will love it."

"Sure, I ain't gonna be able to eat all that. Take as much as you want." He kissed her again and went into the bathroom. As he let the water warm up, he replayed last night in his mind. He wanted her so bad, and wanted to make love to her, and take away all the grief and pain she was experiencing, but he knew that sex wouldn't do that. He hoped that he had at least made her feel safe and cared for; sex could wait until she was ready, and he would be patient and wait until she gave him the word.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

When Daryl dropped her off at Michonne's house, he walked her to the front door and gave her a long, lingering kiss. He asked if he could call her when he got home from work and she told she would be eagerly awaiting the sound of his voice. They were sad to part, but knew their minds would be on each other the whole day.

Michonne was sitting in the living room watching tv when Abigail came through the door. "It's past your curfew girl. Where have you been all night?" She asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

Abigail blushed. "Do I really have to tell you that?" She asked shyly. 

"No, I think I can guess where you were, but I'm gonna need details and lots of them." Michonne turned off the television so she could give Abigail her undivided attention.

"Well, he picked me up on his motorcycle; brought me a helmet and a jacket. We had breakfast, then he drove us out to the woods to this beautiful area with a little creek. We walked for about five miles to this hunting cabin he and his brother had. Then we went into Atlanta to the Civil Gallery; God Michonne, you should go, it's amazing. When we came back, we went to his house. You remember Aaron and Eric? They had this wonderfully romantic dinner ready for us; I brought some home, it's lasagna, you'll love it. Anyway, after dinner we talked for a while, made out for a while . . ."

"Oh my God! You slept with him!" Michonne jumped out of her chair and started squealing and clapping her hands. "I'm so happy for you!"

"Hold on Michonne, we didn't have sex. We literally just slept, but he had his arms around me all night." Abigail released a soft sigh.

"When are you going to see him again? If everything goes well tonight, maybe we can double date sometime."

"What are you doing tonight?" She asked her friend suspiciously.

"I have a date," Michonne replied.

"Please tell me it's with Rick," Abigail asked excitedly.

"Yep. He called me at work yesterday and asked if I would like to have dinner with him tonight. I haven't been out with anyone since Mike, and I'm nervous as hell."

"Don't be nervous. He seems like a wonderful man, and I know he and Shane are working hard to find Deborah's killer. I can tell he really likes you; he was so nervous when we saw him in the store that day."

"Yeah well, I was too. Come on, you have to help me find something to wear."

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Rick picked Michonne up at seven o'clock sharp. "I won't wait up." Abigail told them as they left. She had been so distracted by helping her friend get ready and stay calm that Daryl had barely crossed her mind. Now that she was alone though, he was all she could think about.

She decided to take a nice, hot bubble bath and ran the water, pouring both lavender and vanilla bath oil into the suds. She carefully lowered herself into the tub and relaxed into the heat. As she rubbed the mix of water, oil, and bubbles into her skin, she thought of Daryl, and how he had touched and held her the night before. 

She could feel herself getting aroused and moved her hand between her thighs. Her index finger moved down her clit to her entrance where she pushed it inside. Daryl's kisses were sweet, and he had tasted like wine. His hands were hard and rough, but his touch was soft and tender. She took her finger and ran it back up her clit to her hard nub and slowly teased it, moving up and down and then in circles. 

Abigail would have let him do anything he wanted last night; no one had ever shown her as much kindness and compassion as he had, and she wanted him to know how much that meant to her. The sincerity in his voice when he told her he wanted to make love to her had made her heart swell. She was falling in love with him, and hoped he felt the same way.

It didn't take long for her to come. Thinking of Daryl and being with him like that gave her an ache that she was sure would never go away. She laid in the tub after, lazily washing up until the water grew cold. She stepped out and drained the water, then wrapped a towel around her and went to the bedroom. The clock on the table said eight and she knew he was on his way home. She grew anxious knowing she would hear his voice again soon, and laid down on the bed, still in her towel, and waited as patiently as she could.

The phone rang at eight thirty and she let it ring a couple times before answering; she didn't want him to think she was just sitting around staring at the phone, even though she was. "Hi sweetheart." His voice was low and dripping with sex. "How are you?"

"I'm good Daryl. How are you?"

"I tortured myself all day thinking about you. I missed you."

"I missed you too; I was just thinking about you actually," she said and closed her eyes.

"Really? What were you thinking?"

"About how nice it was to wake up with you this morning. How good it felt to be in your arms and how safe you make me feel; among other things." She giggled into the phone and blushed.

"It's been a while since I woke up with a beautiful woman in my arms. I'm glad you feel safe with me; I would never do anything to hurt you. I always want to keep you safe." There was a long pause before he spoke again. "I care about you, a lot."

"I care about you too Daryl, probably more than I should considering we haven't known each other very long." 

Daryl hummed to himself. "I know; I can't explain it. When I saw you that night in my ambulance, I felt something, and I didn't even know your name. I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since then." Another long silence followed, and Abigail spoke again. 

"Is this real? Because I think I'm falling in love with you. This can't be real."

"It is real Abigail. I'm in love with you, and you're in love with me. I can't believe it either, but it's real. I don't think I'm gonna survive till the next time I see you."

"God, Daryl. I've never felt this way before; this is so overwhelming."

"It doesn't have to be. We'll take it slow; one step at a time." Daryl inhaled sharply. "If you want this, if you want me, we'll go at your pace. All I want is you; I want to make you happy, and I'll do anything to make that happen."


	15. Guess Who

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The deputies confront the DA, and the killer is revealed.

Chapter Fifteen

 

Rick was running late the next morning. His date with Michonne had been successful; she had agreed to see him again and they had made out a little bit in his car after he brought her home. He hadn't been able to get to sleep once he got to his own house and played some Call of Duty to get his mind off his elevated heartrate and ecstatic brain. He ended up falling asleep in his recliner around three a.m. and had to be at the station at seven. Waking up at six thirty, he knew he didn't have a chance in hell of getting there on time, so he stopped off at the donut shop and picked up a dozen and a few coffees hoping that his tardiness could be ignored. 

Shane was on the phone with CSI Atlanta when Rick walked in. A couple of the rookies helped him carry the coffees and hand them out. When he got to his desk, he handed Shane his cup and a chocolate glazed. "Who were you talking to?"

"CSI, they have the datebook and said that for the last six months Deborah had the letter 'P' written down for at least three nights each week. I think we can safely assume that is who the car belonged to; the one the neighbors reported seeing."

"Yep," Rick replied as he stuffed a Boston Cream in his mouth. "There's only one 'P' I can think of involved in this case."

"I know, and I'm dreading that conversation. I don't want to have to arrest the damn DA for murder."

Rick stared at his desk. "Me either brother, but it's our responsibility to catch the killer, no matter who it is. We promised Abigail." 

"We did," Shane agreed. "She deserves to know who killed her sister and almost killed her. Let me get a couple more donuts in me and finish my coffee, then we'll head downtown to talk to the fucker, see if he has anything to say."

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Daryl woke up the next morning with a smile on his face. He still couldn't believe that he had confessed his love for her, and that she loved him too. He had fallen asleep thinking of her; the feeling of her body against his while they laid in his bed together, and waking up to her beautiful smile the next morning. The alarm clock said eight, and that meant he could lay in bed a while longer before getting ready to pick up Aaron. He closed his eyes and thought back to the day they had spent together. Showing her the cabin had been hard for him; the last time he was there he had Merle with him. His brother had died less than six months later; it was a place he never wanted to see again, and taking Abigail there was a spontaneous decision. He wouldn't mind taking her back, if she wanted to go. He could clean the place up, buy some cheap furniture and maybe decorate a little. It could be their special place now.

His mind continued to wander through the day they had spent together. He remembered the feeling of her arms around him, holding onto him tight as they flew down the roads on his motorcycle. He remembered how her lips felt against his moving in tandem. He had jerked off last night after their phone conversation was over, but was feeling that need again; a need he was sure he would feel for the rest of his life. He reached down into his boxer briefs and took himself in hand. He massaged the head of his cock, running the tip of his thumb over the slit. He shivered as he thought about what it would be like to make love to her, what her naked body would look like as she rode out the orgasm he would give her. He spread pre come down his shaft to the base and moved his hand up and down his length leisurely to prolong the experience.

He desperately wanted to feel her long, auburn hair against his chest and her wet pussy walls contract around his dick. Daryl moved his hand faster and he used the other one to cup his balls, eventually squeezing them so hard it hurt. His orgasm was coming fast and he could barely breathe when he finally erupted over his hand and stomach. He lay still, trying to catch his breath, and smiling like a fool. He loved her with everything he had, and hadn't lied when he told her he would wait for her, but he really wished Rick and Shane would hurry up and find this bastard.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Shane called the DA's office before he and Rick left the station to make sure that he would be available to talk to them. His receptionist said that he would be, and that she would let him know they were on their way. Rick felt the best way to handle the situation would be to just come out and ask him if he had been seeing Deborah, and however he chose to answer that question would determine how they would proceed from there. 

Phillip came to the lobby to meet the deputies and walked them back to his office. "Do you have any news regarding the investigation?" he asked as he relaxed in his big, comfy chair.

"Maybe, we need to ask you a few questions first, if you don't mind." Shane rubbed his head nervously.

"Alright gentlemen, ask away."

"Did you know Deborah Ellis prior to her death?" Rick asked.

"Do you have evidence suggesting that I did?" Phillip asked the two men as he eyed them suspiciously.

"As a matter of fact, we do," Shane answered. "We recently became aware of a locket that had reportedly been in your possession. A locket with a picture of you and the victim on the inside and her initials on the front. The victim's sister confirmed the locket as having belonged to Deborah and, even though she claims to have only seen you once in her life, identified you as the man who sold her sister drugs when she was younger."

Phillip shook his head. "My drug conviction is public record; anyone could find that out if they wanted to. I did three years for distribution of an illegal substance. I studied law while I was there and took the bar when I was released. My ties with that world have been severed, and I regret that time in my life."

"Did you have an intimate relationship with her?" Rick asked.

"No, although it wasn't because I didn't want one. I was in love with her, but she only needed me for the drugs I provided. I wasn't the type of man that she wanted in her bed. Things became strained with us and I stopped selling to her, which didn't make her happy. I gave her that locket before I was convicted hoping that when I came back we could try again. Do you mind if I ask you a question?"

The deputies looked at each other. "No, go ahead." Shane answered him.

"How did you learn about the locket?"

"That is confidential information regarding an ongoing murder investigation. We can't tell you that." Rick informed him.

"I think I could make a pretty good guess, since I know where it was. Do you have it in your possession?"

"It's in evidence and being taken care of, don't worry about it. If you're cleared as a suspect, you can have it back." Rick told him. "We have one last question. In her datebook, the initial 'P' was found written on several days of the week. According to her neighbors, a mysterious vehicle was parked in her driveway at least three nights a week. Were you seeing her again?"

"Yes. I have always loved her, and hoped that the years had changed her, but they hadn't. She was no longer taking drugs, but still couldn't look at me the way I wanted her to. She gave the locket back to me the last time I saw her, which was one week before she was killed. I did not murder her."

Just then, Rick's cell phone chirped; he looked at the caller id. "I have to take this. Excuse me." He walked out into the hallway and took the call.

"Deputy Grimes, this is Max Bolden from CSI in Atlanta. I think we found your killer."

"You what?" Rick exclaimed. "How? I thought you didn't have any viable evidence?"

"Well, we recently acquired some new technology that allows us to complete a partial fingerprint. We re-ran what we have through the data base and got a hit."

"Who is it?" Rick asked excitedly, and when he heard the name, he smiled. "I knew it. I knew it was him. Thank you so much for working so hard on this. We all appreciate your efforts." He took a deep breath and walked back into Phillip's office. "Thank you for talking to us, we appreciate your honesty and we'll get that locket returned to you as soon as possible." He told the DA.

Shane looked confused. "Who was that on the phone?"

"That was Atlanta; they identified our killer. We have to go make an arrest." The other two men were happy and pleased with the news.

"That's great news. Where are we headed?" Shane asked as he stood to leave.

"We're going to the bar." Rick replied.


	16. Case Closed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deborah's killer is apprehended, with a little help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter after this one. Hope you enjoy it.

Chapter Sixteen

 

Rick's handcuffs were dangling from his fingertips as he and Shane entered the Terminus Tavern. Kyra was tending bar again and the deputies walked right up and took a seat. "Good afternoon gentlemen. Are you here on business again?"

"Yeah," Shane answered her. "Gareth wouldn't happen to be here, would he?"

"No, not yet. He should be here in a couple hours though."

"We can't wait that long. We have to see him now." Rick re-attached his handcuffs to his belt. "Do you know where he might be?"

"No, but you could try his house. Noah or Theodore might know where he is. They're in the kitchen if you want to ask them."

"Thanks sweetheart," Shane said, and the two men walked through the swinging door and into the back. Neither man was anywhere to be seen, so Rick and Shane walked out the back door to the ally, where they found the fry cooks taking a smoke break.

"Hello gentlemen," Rick said as they approached. "Do either of you know where Gareth is right now?"

Theodore stood up and crushed his cigarette under his shoe. "I talked to him a couple hours ago; he said he wasn't gonna be in tonight. His grandmother died and he's gotta go Atlanta for the funeral. He said he's driving out tonight."

"Shit!" Shane exclaimed. "We gotta try to catch him." 

"Are you gonna arrest him?" Noah asked.

The deputies looked at each other. "We can't answer that question Noah. Let's just say we know he knows more than he's admitted. We have to find him as soon as possible." Rick answered.

"I knew it!" Noah exclaimed. "He had a thing for her and was jealous of all the attention she got from the customers. He knew she was sleeping around and when he asked her out she said no."

"You knew all this and didn't tell us?" Shane asked.

"I didn't think that liking her and getting rejected was a motive for murder."

"Apparently it is," Shane replied.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Aaron was very happy for his friend. Daryl hadn't stopped smiling or talking about Abigail since he had arrived to pick him up. He told Aaron about their conversation last night and that she is in love with him too. "I am so happy for you Daryl. I can't wait to tell Eric; ever since we had dinner at her place, he hasn't been able to stop talking about how cute you two are together."

"She is pretty damn cute," Daryl admitted. "I know we haven't known each other very long, but I think I fell in love with her that night we took her to the hospital. I can't pinpoint what it is about her, but I haven't been able to get her out of my head since then."

The police radio crackled as a familiar voice came through the speaker. "All units, be on lookout for Gareth Andrew West; five feet eleven inches, sandy blonde hair. Driving a blue Prius, Spaulding County plate number R94-06F. Suspect may be armed. Proceed with caution."

"That's Rick's voice," Daryl said, and took the receiver from where it was sitting on the radio. "Rick, it's Daryl. What area is he in?"

"Don't know. He could still be at his house, but we've been informed that he's planning on skipping town. We have an arrest warrant."

"Does this have anything to do with Abigail?" Daryl asked as he started the ambulance and pulled out into traffic.

"Yeah, it does. Don't do anything stupid Daryl. We need this done by the book, or else it could all go to hell."

"I won't; I promise, but if I see him, I'll keep him safe until you guys get there." Daryl turned off the receiver, turned the siren on, and drove to Gareth's house.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Daryl turned the siren off when they got closer to Gareth's house; he didn't want to risk losing him when he was so close. The Prius was parked in the driveway and the trunk was open. Daryl took a knife out of the backpack he always carried to work, and he and Aaron stepped out of the ambulance and walked over to the car. There were two large duffle bags inside, but Gareth was nowhere to be found. "Go back to the rig and get on the radio. Tell Rick we're at his house and we're gonna keep watch on him until he and Shane get here," Daryl told Aaron. 

"Don't do anything stupid Daryl. Your girlfriend wouldn't like losing her sister and her boyfriend to the same man," Aaron replied harshly.

"I ain't gonna do nothing that's gonna risk never seeing her again. I'm just gonna make sure he don't leave until the deputies get here. I can take care of myself Aaron; go call Rick." Aaron did as Daryl told him and alerted the two deputies to Gareth's whereabouts and went back to the car, carrying a length of tubing he had found in the back.

"He's gonna walk out that door sooner or later and we gotta keep him restrained until Rick and Shane get here." Aaron showed the tubing to his partner. "This should hold him long enough; they're on their way."

Daryl nodded. "We should get closer to the door; in case he tries to run." The two men cautiously approached the front porch, but couldn't see Gareth inside. They hovered for a couple minutes before seeing the man come into the room from the basement stairs. "I'll grab him as he comes out; you tie his hands while I hold him." Daryl told Aaron. The minute Gareth stepped to the door, Daryl reached out and grabbed him by his shirt, pulling him the rest of the way outside. 

Daryl hit him square in the face, knocking him down the steps. Aaron immediately went into action and rolled him onto his stomach while Daryl sat on his legs. "Who the fuck are you! Get the fuck off me!" Gareth yelled as Aaron knotted the tubing around his arms and hands. 

"There's a BOLO out on you, motherfucker; I'm making sure you don't leave town before Griffon's finest get here and take your murdering ass to jail." Daryl stood up, once the man's restraints were secure, and pulled him up to his feet. Gareth fought against Daryl as he dragged him to the ambulance and tossed him in the back. Just then, they heard sirens coming closer and a line of Sheriff's Department squad cars came barreling down the street. The vehicles were barely put in park when six deputies exited, guns raised. Aaron and Daryl held their hands up and stepped away from the ambulance toward Rick and Shane. 

"Are you two okay? Is he still here?" Rick asked.

Aaron pointed to the rig. "He's tied up in the back. You guys can have him."

Rick looked at Daryl. "He's in one piece, isn't he?"

"He may have a black eye, but he's fine otherwise." Rick nodded and indicated that the other deputies surround the ambulance. When they opened the door, Gareth foolishly tried to make a run for it, but was stopped quickly and easily by the Stewart County Sheriff's department. He cursed Daryl and Aaron as he was taken to Rick and Shane's squad car, and even spat at them.

"I'll let you call Abigail. I'm sure she'll be excited to hear the news. I'll call her later to let her know what's going on." Rick said as he got into the car.

"Thanks for your help Daryl. Be sure and tell that little lady of yours that you help catch him; I'm sure she'll want to show you her gratitude." Shane told him, smirking.

"I'm gonna go see her now. This isn't the kind of news you give over the phone." He shook the deputies hands and said goodbye, waving to Gareth as they drove away.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Abigail was in the laundry room when she heard someone knocking on the front door. "Hold on; I'm coming," she yelled. She was surprised to see Daryl standing on the front porch when she opened the door. "Daryl, come in. I thought you were working today." She held the door and invited him in.

He couldn't wait to tell her about what had happened, but had to kiss her first. He took her face in his hands and touched his lips to hers gently. "I was, but there was a little excitement today and I wanted to come over and tell you about it."

"Did something bad happen?" She asked him as they sat on the couch.

"No sweetheart, this is the best thing that could happen. They got him Abigail, the man that killed your sister." She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"They know who it is?"

"They know, and they arrested him this afternoon. I was there; Aaron and I kinda helped out."

Abigail began to cry. "Who? Who killed Deborah?"

Daryl wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. "It was Gareth." Abigail was stunned.

"Rick told me that he worked at Terminus with her. Why would he want to kill her? All those years he lived next door, he seemed nice. He was quiet, but he always said hi whenever we saw each other."

"I don't know baby. Rick said he'd call once he got a confession." They fell silent then; Daryl had his arms around her waist and Abigail wrapped hers around his neck. She sobbed on his shoulder until her eyes were dry, and he rubbed her back soothingly. When her tears were gone, Daryl went into the kitchen and got her a glass of water. "Are you hungry. I could go get us something or we could go out together?"

Abigail was sniffling and her bloodshot eyes burned. "I would need to fix my face. If you could wait a few minutes, I'd like to go out together."

"Of course I'll wait. I don't want to leave you right now. Take your time." Daryl kissed her softly before she got up and went to her room. He knew she was relieved and happy that Gareth had been captured and arrested, but he also knew that she would grieve all over again. He was anxious for Rick's phone call and hoped that this would start Abigail on the path to healing.

Ten minutes later, Abigail came back out. Her eyes were less red and puffy, and her cheeks were rosy. "I'm ready. Where are we going?"

"Wherever you want. This is a celebration lunch; I'll take you anywhere you want to go." They climbed into his truck and ended up at ML Rose. Abigail had loved the atmosphere and the food, and the company hadn't been bad either. They ordered the same burger and beer they had before and talked about what was coming up next for her.

"I just can't believe it," she said smiling. "They said they'd find him, and they did. You said you were there; what happened?"

"Aaron and I were sitting in the rig, when Rick came over the radio with a be on lookout for him. He said the guy was going to skip town, so we went to his house to see if he was there. He had his car mostly packed and we jumped him as he came out the door; tied him up with some tubing we had in the back. We kept him in the back until Rick and Shane showed up."

"Oh my God! Are you alright? Did you get hurt? I feel like a piece of shit not asking you about it before." She almost started crying again until Daryl took her hand.

"I'm fine. I think he's gonna have a black eye though. You don't need to worry about me. You're the most important person here; you're the one I worry about."

She leaned forward and kissed him hard, right there at the table. "I love you Daryl, and I don't think you could ever know how much you mean to me. I know I've said this before, but I don't think I would have been able to deal with this without you. Michonne is wonderful, and we've been friends since college; she lost her boyfriend three years ago, so she knows what I'm going through. But losing a sibling is different; Deborah and I spent our whole lives together and that's a bond Michonne can't relate to. I'm so lucky to have met you." She was interrupted by the sound of her phone and answered it eagerly, knowing it was Rick.

"Abigail, this is Rick. I assume you've talked to Daryl and you know what happened today?"

"Yes, Rick. Thank you, and Shane for all the hard work and dedication you two put into this. I can't tell you how thankful I am."

"Deborah didn't deserve to die, much less in the way she did. It's our duty to make sure her killer comes to justice. We wouldn't have rested until we found him."

"Did he confess? Did he tell you why he did it?" she anxiously asked the deputy.

"He was in love with her. He saw her flirting with all these other men and knew she was sleeping with them, but she wouldn't give him the time of day. He got angry when she would flaunt those men around him and decided that she needed to pay for treating him like shit. He's being charged with premeditated murder in the first degree. The DA's office will go for the death penalty."

Abigail didn't know whether to cry or jump for joy. "Would it make me a bad person to say I hope the motherfucker fries for this?"

Rick laughed. "No Abigail, it wouldn't. You have every right to want this man to be punished for taking your sister's life, and almost taking yours. Do you have any questions?"

"Will there be a trial?"

"No, he gave a full confession. His case will be assigned to a judge and he will be sentenced from there. You won't need to worry about testifying, but you will be expected to show up to give a statement to the judge regarding his sentence. Andrea will speak to you before then and help you prepare."

"Alright. Thank you Rick; tell Shane I said thank you too. I should call Michonne and tell her. I completely forgot about that."

"Okay, tell her I said 'hi'. She's cooking dinner for me tonight. Are you going to be joining us?"

"Oh, no I have other plans. I'll let you two have your time together. Talk to you later Rick. Bye." 

When she got off the phone, the waitress arrived with their food; Abigail tore into her burger, not realizing how hungry she was. She told Daryl what Rick had said about Gareth's confession and the sentencing. "Michonne forgot to tell me she invited Rick over for dinner tonight. Remind me to call her on our way back to her house. She still doesn't know what happened and she would kill me if she heard this from someone other than me."

"Don't worry, I'll remind you. Do you want to come over to my place tonight, while Rick's with Michonne? I still got some leftover lasagna and wine."

"I'd love to, thank you. I love you so much Daryl."

"I love you too Abigail."


	17. A Celebration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl and Abigail celebrate their new life together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who left kudos and comments; they made my day. Thank you to those who didn't, but read anyway. I love you all.  
> I am interested to know how many of you solved this mystery correctly. If you did, congratulations.  
> This is the last chapter, and I am sad to see it go, but I will have a new multi chapter ready to post soon, so stay tuned.

Chapter Seventeen

 

Michonne had been ecstatic when she heard the news; screaming and jumping around with joy. She told Abigail that she would give Rick a personal thank you just from her, since he had been such a good boy, and found the man who murdered her friend. Abigail told her she was going to Daryl's house, so she wouldn't have to worry about having a third wheel around, and Michonne giggled, making a joke about watching out for Daryl's "third wheel". They both laughed in genuine happiness for the first time since Abigail's life had been turned upside down.

When they arrived at the house, Daryl followed her inside and back to her bedroom. He could tell that this was not her own personal space; there wasn't any pictures or anything that belonged to her in view. "Must be hard sleeping in a bed that ain't your own. Are you gonna move back into the house?"

She pulled a canvas bag from the closet. "No, I can't go back there. I'm gonna have a mover take everything out and put it in storage. When I find a place of my own, I'll go through it all." She went to take something from one of her dresser drawers and Daryl stopped her by gently laying his hand on her shoulder.

"Why don't you pack enough for a few days; stay with me for a while. I got sick time and vacation that I never used. Let's spend some time together."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "I think that is a wonderful idea." His arms came around her lower back and he pulled her into his body. He rested his forehead against hers and sighed softly.

"I can't believe this is happening. Meeting the way we did, falling in love with you so fast, and now the man who killed your sister is in jail; all in such a short amount of time. It seems like a dream, and I don't ever want to wake up."

She smiled sweetly, and cupped his cheek in her hand. "Me either, Daryl. Now, help me pack; I'm going to leave a note for Michonne so she knows it's safe to let Rick spend the night."

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Daryl took her bag and put it in his bedroom. He didn't want to make assumptions, but thought if she changed her mind about sharing his bed, he could sleep on the couch. Abigail was in the living room looking through a stack of DVD'S. "You want to watch a movie? Pick out whatever you want; we can warm up dinner afterwards." While she continued to browse, Daryl went to kitchen and took the wine from the refrigerator and two glasses from the cabinet. Abigail was on the couch when he got back.

"What are we watching?" He asked as he poured the wine.

"Guardians of the Galaxy; Star Lord is hot." She replied with a big grin on her face.

"This is one of my favorites. The guy that plays Yondu reminds me of my brother." He handed her a glass and sat down with his back against the armrest. He pulled her back against his chest and put his arm around her waist, resting his hands on her stomach. He nuzzled his face into her neck and breathed her in scent. She smelled like lavender and vanilla; his favorite things in the world now. 

She laid there, in his arms through the whole movie. She giggled when Gamora rejected Star Lord's "pelvic sorcery", and wondered what kind of sorcerer Daryl might be. The only time they moved from their spot was to pour more wine. "I should have stopped and bought more," he said when he noticed the bottle was almost empty.

"It's fine," Abigail replied. "Any more and I might fall asleep on you."

"We can't have that." Daryl said. "I want to make the most of tonight; it's our first real night together, and I want it to be perfect. Whatever you want; it's all about you and we can do whatever you want, even if it's nothing at all."

"The last three days have been the most amazing I've had in a long time, and I owe that mostly to you. As long as we're here together, I don't care what we do." She turned her head to the side and he brought his lips down to kiss her. She loved the way he kissed her; always sweet, soft, and passionate.

When the movie was over, they went to the kitchen to warm up dinner. Daryl had been too tired and excited to eat the night before, so there was plenty left. Abigail took a loaf of Italian bread she found and buttered a few pieces before putting them in the oven. During the meal, they talked about what Rick had said and made plans for the next few days. Abigail wanted to go out on the bike again, and Daryl told her he'd take her up to the creek. He had been thinking more about the cabin and he wanted to fix it up. It would be a great place for them to get away for a few days when they had the time.

After dinner, Daryl banished Abigail from the kitchen, telling her that it was his house, he would take care of the dishes. She finally relented saying that she was going to take a shower. He told her where the towels were and started collecting the dishes. When everything was clean and put away, he stepped out to the front porch to smoke. He heard the shower turn off and wanted to give her time to do her thing in private.

Daryl lit his smoke and thought back on the last three days, especially last night and today. He was still in shock that she felt the same way about him, but he knew it wasn't a dream. He felt like the luckiest son of a bitch in the world. If Merle was still alive, he would have been teasing the shit out of him. Falling in love, getting all googly eyed over a woman; Merle would have called him pussy whipped, but Daryl didn't care. Daryl only cared about one thing, the woman in his bedroom.

He made his way through the house, locking doors and turning off lights. When he entered his bedroom, Abigail was lying on the bed in a pair of sleep shorts and a t-shirt. "I can sleep on the couch if ya want.” Daryl said quietly. “Don't have to be in here if ya don't want me."

She got up from the bed and stood in front of him. "I want you Daryl. In here, in the living room, the kitchen; I'm not picky. I just want you." She put her hands on his chest and looked him in the eyes. "Tonight is a new beginning for me. I can start moving on now, and I want to start a new life with you."

"I want that too," he said and took her mouth. His hands went to her waist and his fingers dipped inside the waistband, touching her soft skin. Abigail ran her fingers through his hair and moaned into the kiss. He lifted her up and carried her bridal style to the bed where he laid her down gently. Standing above her, he took off his shirt, pants, and boxers and climbed in beside her. Daryl lifted her head and held it as he kissed her again, languidly, but with more passion that she had felt from him before. His other hand ran up and down her bare legs; she could feel his hardness against her skin and it made her wet. 

His lips moved to her neck as he parted her legs and settled between them. His hands went up her shirt to her bare breasts and he groaned into her mouth. He squeezed them lightly and ran his thumbs across her nipples, making them hard. He slipped her shirt up and over her head, throwing it on the floor. "You're so beautiful Abigail," Daryl whispered as his mouth descended on her right breast; sucking and licking gently. His left hand massaged the other; tweaking and pulling until her body writhed in response.

His cock lay between them, against their stomachs, and he moved slightly to relieve some of the pressure. He wanted to know every inch of her; he wanted to make her his, and claim every part of her. His hands moved down her sides and his mouth moved as well. He licked the underside of her breasts and down her ribcage. Daryl kissed and sucked on her skin, leaving marks that proved they belonged to each other. Her back arched and her legs wrapped around his waist as she moaned and moved beneath him.

Daryl could smell her arousal and kissed lower as he pulled her sleep shorts down her legs. She was bare underneath her shorts as well, and he hummed to himself when he saw how wet she was for him. Sitting back on his knees, he rubbed his hands along her outer thighs and gazed at her; so beautiful and ready for him. "I want to taste you," he said softly. 

Abigail moaned. "Please Daryl. I need you." He ran the tip of his index finger over her wetness. "Oh yes!" she cried and he smirked. He couldn't wait to hear all the delicious sounds he could pull out of her. He put his finger in his mouth and sucked; she tasted like heaven and he needed more. Lifting her legs, he laid her calves on his shoulders and crouched down. The smell of her was intoxicating and he kissed her clit gently. Her body quivered and her breathing quickened. His tongue swirled through her folds leisurely making her whine and whimper. He looked up at her; her eyes were closed and her mouth was open in rapture. Daryl wanted to watch her come, and moved his tongue faster and harder against her while pushing one finger inside her.

She was so close; she could feel the pressure building in her stomach. "Oh God Daryl! I'm gonna come!" she cried out.

"Do it sweetheart," Daryl said. "Give it to me; I want it all." Her body contorted and she bucked up into his mouth when her orgasm hit her. "Oh fuck! Daryl! Yes, yes!" He continued to lick and suck her as she came, and when her body relaxed he kissed his way back up to her mouth. His hands went back to her breast momentarily before he took her by the hips and flipped them over. Her hands went to his chest to steady herself and she leaned down and kissed him again. 

"I haven't felt that in such a long time, Daryl. That was amazing."

He brushed her hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. "You're amazing, sweetheart. Want you to ride me; will you do that?"

"Oh yes. It would be my pleasure." Abigail moved, and her still wet pussy hovered above his cock. She took it in her hand and guided herself down. Daryl gasped as he felt her tightness engulf him, and he dug his fingers into her hips. She laid her hands on his chest to support herself and moved her hips; Daryl took both breasts in his hands and squeezed them hard, causing her to gasp. "Daryl, you feel so good inside me. You're so big, I've never felt this full."

"Baby, you feel so good around me; so tight. Squeeze my dick." She contracted her muscles and Daryl moaned loudly. "Make me come Abigail." She sat up and leaned back, grabbing Daryl's thighs. She moved up and down on him, and he couldn't tear his eyes away from the sight of his cock disappearing inside her, over and over. Her breasts bounced up and down and her long hair brushed along his legs. He ran his hands over her body and sat up, pulling their bodies together. He jerked his hips up to meet her movements. "You're gonna make me come  
Abigail. Oh God! I'm gonna come!" He held her hips against him tightly, knowing there would be bruises tomorrow morning. A string of curses fell from his lips as his cock pulsed and released inside her. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she held on to him until his orgasm subsided. 

When his body stilled, he looked up at her. "I love you so much sweetheart. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me."

She smiled and her eyes began to water. "This had been the worst few weeks of my life, but I wouldn't have found you if it had never happened. I love you Daryl." She separated herself from him and lay next to him. He scooped her up in his arms and she put her head on his chest.

"I want you to stay with me." Daryl told her.

"I am; I thought that's why I packed extra."

"No, I mean I want you to move out of Michonne's guest room and stay with me here, in our bedroom." She lifted her head to look at him.

"You want me to move in with you?"

"Just until you find a place of your own. If you still want your own place."

She smiled. "It depends on how well we get along, and whether or not you remember to put the cap back on the toothpaste." 

He laughed. "I'm willing to change my ways, if it means you'll do it."

"Yeah, I'll do it." He took her face in his hands and kissed her. "I'll call Rick in the morning, see if it's okay to get your stuff out of the house. We can bring what you want to keep and store the rest."

"This is the best day of my life," she said as she lay her head back on his chest.

"Best day of our life," he corrected, and held her close as they fell asleep.

 

The End


End file.
